Kiri's Phantom Blade
by aprilliarsv
Summary: As a child, Naruto made a seemingly small discovery in the form of a Bingo Book entry. How could such a simple change find Naruto leading the next generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen Of Kiri? Rated M to be ru/FemHaku Zab/Mei Stronger Naruto,Haku, and Zabuza TEMPORARY HIATUS
1. And So Fell, The Sword Of Fate

**I don't own Naruto**

**This here is a re-write…I've had a lot of trouble with chapter 9 and am going to change things in the beginning stages to fit better. I feel the way his training was going, he was getting to strong, I want to change that slightly.**

**Naruto proved to be able to come up with genius plans on the battlefield but was brain dead everywhere else, he just wanted attention and to be noticed. What if he decided to do that by becoming the strongest shinobi he could. As Kiri's Phantom Blade.**

**I also want to say that we all know that Naruto is a chakra powerhouse, he can make hundreds if not thousands of shadow clones, a Jutsu made a Kinjutsu for the sole reason of ****excessive chakra consumption****. So he should be able to throw out hundreds of C and B-rank Ninjutsu with out problems, not to mention dozens of A and a few S-rank.**

**I am making it eighteen months until the Chunin exams. Chunin are supposed to be leaders, how can you lead C-rank missions when you have only been on a few, or in cannon Team Seven, One. **

**Sasuke will have his good and bad moments, that is all I will say. Sasuke will hate Naruto. Here is a kid whose dream is to kill someone who graduated top of his class of twelve year olds when he was 6 or 7. The fact that Naruto competes with him when they are the same age will…annoy him.**

"**Tailed beast talk/Calling out Jutsu/Demonic speech of some sort."**

Written text

"Normal speech."

'_Thinking'_

**Kiri's Phantom Blade**

Chapter 1

And so fell, the sword of fate

Nine year old Naruto Uzumaki, dressed in his rather…unique, orange jumpsuit was walking down the street after failing his review test at the academy. All the while grumbling about his failure.

"Who cares what the Shodaime Hokage's bloodline was, I'll be better than he ever could be without a bloodline. Tch. What difference does what element is weak against fire, make when my Jutsu will be so strong it will over power it anyway!"

Naruto's grumbling was interrupted when he kicked a large rock and stumbled onto his hands and knees. Nobody on the street paid any attention to him, like always.

Normally he would get up and start shouting out loud, just hoping for some sign of acknowledgment, that maybe, just maybe, someone cared.

However, for once _he_ didn't care. Lying on the ground in front of him was several pieces of paper. On the top was a picture of a man with short black hair, a Kiri headband, sideways on his head, bandages covering his mouth and nose, no shirt, and black and white camouflage pants.

The thing that stood out the most though, was his sword. It was big, really big. It almost looked like a giant butcher knife.

Naruto picked up the papers and ran to his apartment as fast as he could.

When he got there he started reading, he had trouble understanding a lot of it for several reasons. The main one, because it was written for high level ninja, not 9 year old academy students. The other being that he usually didn't like to read, he never got acknowledged for reading…

_RANK: High A- Low S_

_NAME: Zabuza Momochi_

_ALIAS: Demon of the Hidden Mist_

_UNIT: Seven Swordsmen of the Mist/ANBU_

_DESCRIPTION: Zabuza Momochi, 2__nd__ strongest of the Seven Swordsmen. Greatest user of the __**Silent Killing Jutsu **__to ever come from Kiri. Also specializes in__Kenjutsu____and Water Ninjutsu. _

_However, avoid a Kenjutsu fight, wields blade known as __**Kubikiribocho**__. A seven foot long, Butcher knife like sword_

_Outside of Kenjutsu, prefers water Ninjutsu. High stamina, Abnormally large chakra reserves. _

_STATUS: Missing Ninja_

_CHARGES: Attempted assassination on Yondaime Mizukage at start of Bloodline Purge._

_NOTES: Like most of Kirigakure, Momochi is known to be particularly brutal in his battles. At the young age of 9, before he even entered the academy, he murdered the entire graduating class._

_KNOWN JUTSU-_

_-Silent Killing Jutsu: Technique involves moving silently, as well as using advanced senses to kill any enemy before they are aware of what is happening._

_C-rank_

_-Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu: Uses surrounding water to create mist so thick that it is unable to be seen through. Commonly used in collaboration with Silent Killing._

_D-rank_

_-Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu: Creates large water dragon that shoots water bullets at high velocity toward target._

_B-rank_

_-Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu: Traps enemy in orb of water. _

_NOTE: Physical contact must be maintained with prison._

_C-rank_

_-Water Release: Water Clone Jutsu: Creates solid clone made of water, possessing 1/10__th__ of original's strength, speed and intelligence._

_C-rank_

_-Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu: Gathers nearby water to several dozen meters above user and sends it crashing onto target._

_B-rank_

It was at that moment that Naruto's overactive imagination got flowing. He easily saw himself standing on a lake, a giant dragon made of water flowing around him. Of course, in his hands was a sword that was as big as he was…

With the help of Iruka-sensei and Old Man Sarutobi it just might happen.

Nobody would ever know how much the Shinobi world was changed that day.

**Not to much changed here, I just refined what I had.**

**Sorry for the ridiculous wait but please review!**


	2. Genin Exams

**This chapter will have flashbacks, I tried to write a full training chapter but couldn't, so I am just going to show some of it in flashbacks.**

Chapter 2

Genin Exam

A twelve year old Naruto Uzumaki was sitting in the back of the class. He was a little tall for his age, at 12 years old, he stood about 5' 1". He had short, spiky blonde hair and the bluest eyes since the Yondaime Hokage. He was wearing his usual cow-pattern white and black camouflage pants that the Hokage special ordered him from Kiri for his birthday, a black long-sleeved shirt with a burnt orange Uzumaki spiral on the back, and black shinobi sandals. Though few knew about it, Naruto always kept his zanbatou, a six foot long katana like weapon(Ichigo sword from season 1 of Bleach) sealed into a scroll in his kunai pouch.

Naruto wasn't on the best terms with most of the members of his class. He knew he was being unfair, but it didn't truly matter to him. There was only one person in his entire class that Naruto had any respect for. That was Sasuke Uchiha. While to boy was very dark, and was always brooding, he had every right to be.

When Sasuke was 7 years old, his older brother, his idol, and the pride of the Uchiha clan, committed near-genocide. He killed every member of the Uchiha clan, leaving only Sasuke. However, the boy's brother didn't leave without a parting gift, that gift just so happened to be 36 hours of constantly replaying the death of their parents, by his hand.

Since that time, the boy had come very far, already he was named as a prodigy. While not on the same level as Itachi. He was impressive. He lived for one reason. Revenge.

While Naruto had no real friends from his current class, he was good friends with Team 9. The students of Maito Gai. Lee was a Taijutsu specialist that tried to be just a little to much like his rather eccentric sensei. Tenten was a pretty, brown haired, brown eyed girl with a fetish for anything sharp and pointy. Neji was an arrogant Hyuuga that Naruto was sure there was a stick up his ass. It was a rather strange team.

Team 9 had happened on him when he was practicing combining his Kenjutsu with the _**Silent Killing Jutsu**_. They actually became pretty good friends. Lee was drawn to his hard work and the fact that he had gone from the Dead-last to competing for rookie of the year, Tenten was drawn to the giant sword he swung like it weighed as much as a kunai. Neji had a grudging respect for him because he showed him his greatest weakness. If he couldn't get close, than he couldn't win.

*Flashback*

"**Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu**"

The surrounding area was filled with a mist so thick that visibility was zero.

Naruto Uzumaki, no longer able to see his prey, thanks to his self created mist, just listened. The slight rustle of clothes, the shifting of feet, even down to the beating of the heart and the oxygen entering the lungs. While that may not seem like much, to someone fighting with zero visibility, that is the way of the hunt.

_SNAP_

Naruto head shifted for the direction of the broken twig with his zanbatou at the ready. With one downward slash, the fight was over.

Instead of blood, there was only smoke.

As his shadow clone's memories returned to him, Naruto couldn't help but be disappointed in himself.

'_Damn, still to loud. I was startled by the breaking twig and gave away my position, not to mention he heard my footsteps and change in breathing. I'll have to work on that.'_

Just as Naruto was about to dispel his mist Jutsu and go home to rest for the night, Naruto was made aware that he was not as alone as he had believed.

"LEE"

"GAI-SENSEI"

"LEE"

"GAI-SENSEI"

"LEE, MY BEAUTIFUL STUDENT, YOUR YOUTHFULNESS IS AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL."

When Naruto heard the voices he attempted to quickly dispel the mist and hide his sword but he was to late. The group had a Hyuga who just so happened to be attempting to test his telescopic vision distance.

"Gai-sensei, there is someone occupying our training ground. He appears to be our age, maybe a little younger, and is wielding a very large katana like sword."

As soon as Neji had spoke of the katana, Tenten had stars in her eyes. She was unable to suppress the urge to squeal and began skipping over in the direction he was in.

Neji sweat-dropped at seeing his usually, tomboyish teammate go girlie over a sword.

Meanwhile, Lee and Gai started yelling about Tenten's youth and began to power-skip after her.

Sighing, Neji walked after them, all the while mumbling about his insane teammates and sensei.

Meanwhile, Naruto is rushing as fast as he can to seal all of his gear away.

It had been two years since he began taking his training seriously and he was proud that nobody knew of his skill, aside of course from Iruka-sensei and Sarutobi-sensei.

However, he was too slow. Tenten came skipping through the trees, as soon as her eyes landed on his sword, she was at his side faster than he could blink. He was slightly scared when he noticed the stars in her eyes.

"Uhh… Hey?"

Who would have thought that, that could result in one of his only true friendships.

*End Flashback*

Currently Naruto was sitting in his class waiting for the graduation exam to begin so he can get this done with. Naruto loved Iruka-sensei like a big brother, but being in his current class just put him in a bad mood. All those talks by Iruka and even the Hokage, and his fellow academy students, with the exception of Sasuke were still children.

Like right now, he had to listen to Sakura Haruno, the current head Kunoichi of the class, and Ino Yamanaka, the heiress to the famous mind walking Yamanaka clan argue over something as petty as who sits next to their 'love'. It sickened him to think that this was what was considered his equal.

When Iruka walked into his class he had to sweat-drop.

'_These are supposed to be ninja?'_

Iruka takes a deep breathe to perform his famous Jutsu and Naruto covers his sensitive ears. No matter what he tried, he couldn't figure out how to desensitize his ears to sudden, loud noises.

"**Your supposed to be ninja, what the hell is the matter with you?! SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!**"

'_I've been spending to much time around Naruto-kun. His attitude is starting to rub off.'_

Shaking the scary thoughts away, Iruka continues what he was there for.

"Today is your graduation test to become ninja, act like it!"

The glare he sent the class made some of them shiver.

"Ok, today's test will have five parts. Written, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu. The final and most important stage is an all out spar using any and all shinobi arts and tactics."

"The first test will be the written test. Here you go."

Iruka handed out papers.

"OK, the test contains twenty five question. You have forty five minutes. Begin."

As the students finish, they bring their test to Iruka and sit back down. Iruka begins grading the tests.

'_Hmm, what element is weak against fire…wind, very good… What is a ninja's greatest weapon…cool jutsu…sorry Kiba, it's deception…'_

An hour later, Iruka stands up from his desk.

"Ok, here are the top five scores."

"Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, Shino Aburame, Ino Yamanaka, and Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at his academic grade. He remembered back when Iruka blackmailed him into trying in class.

*Flashback*

"Please, Iruka-sensei."

"I said NO Naruto, your not even trying in theory, why would I help you with something else?"

"But it's so boring and useless."

Iruka stopped. An overwhelming smile overtook his face.

Naruto started to back away from the slightly maniac gleam in his sensei's eyes.

"You say theory is useless? Well then, lets give it use, I will help you."

Naruto's smile almost split his face.

"If you pass theory."

Naruto's giant smile disappeared.

"WHAT?"

Iruka's smug smile just made Naruto angrier.

"I don't think it's to much to ask. If you start to score in the top…eight in theory then I will help you with your other training."

Naruto just walked away muttering to himself.

"Stupid stubborn senseis, can't even give a guy a break."

Seeing Naruto walk away in the opposite direction of his house, Iruka was curious.

"Hey, Naruto, where are you going?"

Naruto's new personality showing, he yelled out as he kept walking and gave his sensei the bird.

"To the library!"

*End Flashback*

"Ok, the next test will be the Taijutsu test, you will be paired up and spar. It does not matter if you win, only if you show enough skill to warrant Genin status. Now, you know both me and Mizuki, this here is a Special Jonin by the name of Genma Shiranui."

The newcomer was wearing the standard Jonin uniform of Konoha with shoulder length brown hair and a bandana on the top. He was impassive as he chewed on a senbon.

The first few fights were pathetic. Out of the entire class, the only ones with Taijutsu skill were Kiba, if he could control his emotions better, Hinata, if she would stop being so meek, and Choji, if he would train more and get faster. The last match was rather anticipated.

Naruto Uzumaki vs. Sasuke Uchiha

Naruto himself was pretty excited about this match. They were the first and second of the class with Naruto barely leading Taijutsu and Ninjutsu and Sasuke leading thrown weapons, book smarts and Genjutsu.

"Begin"

As soon as they were told to start, Sasuke charged with a punch towards the face. Naruto side-stepped, grabbed and twisted Sasuke's wrist and attempted to knee Sasuke in the ribs. However, much to Naruto's surprise, Sasuke jumped to the side and allow his body to twist with his wrist. While in the air, Sasuke brought his foot down in a heal drop, aimed at Naruto's shoulder. Just before the hit connected, Naruto released Sasuke's wrist. Both jumped back to give some space.

"You didn't think that would work again did you? How dumb do you think I am."

Naruto just continued to give the last Uchiha a blank stare before shrugging. Using the 'War-face' Sarutobi-sensei had taught him about.

"I must say that I'm surprised. I had believed you were to arrogant to learn from your mistakes, because that would mean you acknowledge them as mistakes."

The condescending tone that Naruto spoke in, caused Sasuke's previous level-headedness to vanish.

Unable to keep his war-face, Naruto smirked.

'_Always keep your emotions in check, Shinobi rule #3'_

Charging in at his top speed, Sasuke got sloppy, his poor attempt at a right hook was negated when Naruto went low, knocking the raven haired boy's feet out from under him. However, the boy recovered quickly and avoided Naruto's backhand.

The two exchange several blows. After almost a minute of constant fighting, Sasuke finds himself on his back. He sees Naruto coming in for a drop kick to the chest but he was having none of that. Sasuke kip-ups, narrowly avoiding the blonde's foot. Being to the side, Sasuke spins and lands a backhand to Naruto's face, at the same time as Naruto's right hook catches Sasuke's stomach. Before either recovers they hear Iruka whistling to signify the end of the match.

The entire class was speechless. Including the instructors. Genma could hardly believe what he had just seen. Which was made obvious by the senbon that was sitting at his feet. No matter how many times they saw them, two academy students shouldn't be that strong.

The two Chunin and one Special Jonin moved to a smaller area and began discussing the fights, they were only there for a few minutes before Mizuki stormed off, rage on his face and the other two came back to the group.

Iruka began reading off his sheet.

"Top 5 Taijutsu are, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga and Choji Akimichi. Now we have the Genjutsu test."

Sasuke's anger was easily seen but the boy held his tongue. He knew it would get him no where.

Iruka spoke up, getting everyone's attention again.

"Feel free to rest out here, you will come back to the class room when we call your name, we will cast a Genjutsu and you will have to find it and dispel it. First up Shino Aburame."

Everyone went through the test. Only Hinata, Shino, and Sasuke were able to find and dispel the Genjutsu. Everyone else except Kiba were at least able to find it. They received their scores for how fast.

"Top 5 Genjutsu are. Hinata Hyuuga, Shino Aburame, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Ino Yamanaka."

Sasuke was seething.

'_Damn it! I need the Sharingan! No matter what I do, it won't unlock. It should with my first mission…'_

"Ok, now the Ninjutsu portion will be held outside. You will perform _**Substitution**_,_** Clone**_,and_** Transformation**_. For extra credit you can perform a Jutsu outside of the basic three, whether it is a clan Jutsu or just one you picked up during your time here."

Everyone went, the ones from clans doing their clan Jutsu. While most of the civilians didn't know any.

"Naruto Uzumaki"

Naruto went through the basic three with the exception of the clone which he used _**Water Release: Water Clone Jutsu**_.

Naruto had to walk over to the nearby pond for his personal Jutsu.

'_Ok, no higher than B-rank. No reason to get any extra notice.'_

"**Water Release: Five Eating Sharks Jutsu**"

Naruto slammed his hands onto the surface of the water and nothing happened.

Sasuke just looked arrogant, thinking that Naruto made a mistake.

"So, blondie screws up again, no surprise, it's a wonder you waited this long to choke."

"How about you take a stroll onto the water and let me know what you think of my Jutsu."

"Hn"

Sasuke just turned up his nose and walked away.

"Hey Iruka-sensei, can you just send a clone so I can finish?"

Iruka nodded and made a water clone.

It didn't get five feet onto the water when two large sharks made of water jumped and tore the clone apart. Had it been the real Iruka, he would be missing his right leg and left arm.

"Satisfied?"

"Yes, very good Naruto."

"Tch. What a worthless Jutsu, needing water for it."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke who didn't even seem to be paying attention any more.

"I use Ninjutsu to supplement my Taijutsu. Of course if you were as smart as everyone claims then you would know that."

Sasuke went red in the face and was about to attack Naruto when Iruka called out.

"Ok, good job Naruto. Next Shikamaru Nara."

As Naruto walked towards a tree so he could relax in the shade, Naruto could help but think back to when he had learned that he had a water affinity.

*Flashback*

"GRRRRRRR!"

Two weeks and he hadn't learned anything that would help him get stronger. He had stolen, ahem, borrowed, one textbook for every year at the academy, but those only had the very basic of stuff in them, designed to have a teacher teach the students…It wouldn't help anyone out if the other villages could get their hands on exactly what their young Genin would know.

"Damn it! I can't do this alone, the library probably wouldn't help, I wouldn't understand it, maybe the old man will have an idea…but, that would mean I have to tell him what I'm doing. I wanted to surprise everyone… well, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I didn't learn anything anyways…oh well, off to the old man's office."

Doing something that very few could get away with, Naruto walked right into the Hokage's office, most others would have been restrained by Anbu, but this is Naruto.

"Old man, um, can you help me?"

As soon as the words left the boy's mouth, the elder Kage was searching the boy for injuries, he saw some scraps but that was normal for a ninja in training.

"No, nobodies hurting me anymore, I-I don't want to be weak anymore."

This caught the Hokage off guard.

"Then why don't you pay attention in class?"

Naruto only seemed to be trying to hide in his jacket.

"Whenever I would do good, the teachers would punish me."

The Hokage's eyes went wide with surprise before a righteous anger overtook his face.

'_When will those fools ever come to terms with the fact that Naruto is NOT the Kyubbi?'_

When old man Sarutobi saw Naruto's face, he was taken aback, it was full of raw determination, nothing would stop him on his quest, he didn't want pity or remorse, all he wanted was to correct it. The decision was easy.

"Well, what is it you want help with."

The old Naruto quickly returned.

"I want learn Water Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu."

That surprised the old man.

'_Water Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu? Why? Water Ninjutsu is often viewed as the weakest of the elements, it lacks the density for defense that earth has, and the damaging abilities that fire, wind, and lightning have.'_

Naruto watched nervously as Sarutobi proved how he got the name the professor, as his mind continued to work through the problem.

' _And Kenjutsu, while popular in the elemental nations, Konoha has never had any truly great Kenjutsu specialists so it never truly took hold. The closest I would say was Orochimaru and that was because the snake summons possessed the Grass Cutter, or Kushina but she was relatively unknown since she was in ANBU and her identity was kept a secret. Our Nindaime, he used Water Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu with the Raijin. The only other possibility would be one of the Seven Swordsmen of Kiri… That's it, he must have discovered some info on either the Seven Swordsmen, maybe one of the seven, or our own Nindaime. Well, now for a test.'_

"What kind of sword did you want to learn? A katana? Maybe a Ninjato? There are so many to choose from."

Being the naïve kid he is, Naruto didn't know he was walking right into Sarutobi's trap.

"I want a Zanbatou."

That did it.

'_So, something got him hooked on the Seven Swordsmen, I wonder what.'_

"So, Naruto. What has inspired you to take on the fighting style of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kiri?"

Naruto eyes went wide at being discovered.

"What? But how?"

Sarutobi gave a light chuckle.

"Experience my boy. Water Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu is the primary fighting style of the Seven Swordsmen, you just sealed the deal when you specified that you wanted a zanbatou. Four of the seven use a zanbatou, the only ones that aren't have different specialties and uses."

Naruto looked down, his face unreadable even to Sarutobi.

'_Damn, he saw right through me. I need to learn how to read people and give away only what is needed._

Seeing the face on Naruto, the old man decided to calm him down.

"No worries Naruto, I was known as 'The Professor' because of my ability to read people and the best move and what each person might do. To gauge your ability to conceal your actions against someone like me, would be like trying to run before you have even heard of crawling."

Naruto was in thought for a few more seconds before he smiled at the man who had been like his grandfather.

"So, what has you so interested in the Seven Swordsmen?"

Slowly, Naruto reached into his jacket and showed the Hokage several pieces of paper.

After reading through the insert from the Bingo Book, Sarutobi looked at Naruto with a stern expression.

"Naruto, it is great that you have found the drive you have been sorely lacking but you must know that there could be a time down the road that you have to fight him or just a Kiri nin in general. You need to understand that you may have to kill them."

Naruto surprised Sarutobi by answering quickly, and seriously, a feature never before seen on the orange wearing ninja-to be.

"I know old man, we are different villages."

"Good, now lets see if what your affinity is, if it is anything but water, then they will be harder to use. If it is fire or earth, water Ninjutsu will be very difficult…Nearly impossible."

Naruto nodded in understanding, having read the basics of affinities in the fourth year academy textbook.

Sarutobi hands Naruto a small, white sheet of paper and tells him to channel chakra into it.

As fate would deem, the paper got wet.

*End Flashback*

Naruto couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Meanwhile, several other ninja wanna-bes went, mostly civilian.

"Sasuke Uchiha"

Sasuke did the basic three with ease. Then he got a smirk and whipped four kunai towards a tree, one stopped short and fell to the ground, while the rest each embedded in the center. Only Iruka noticed the wire that was to short on one of the kunai. Sticking the remaining three in his mouth, Sasuke flashed through some hand seals.

"**Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu**"

Fire roared to life and traveled down the wire before burning the tree to a crisp.

Iruka was impressed.

The last few go and they give out the top 5 for the Ninjutsu test.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Ino Yamanaka, Shino Aburame, and Nara Shikamaru."

Before anyone could say anything, Sakura's and Ino's voices could be heard.

"WHAT HOW DID HE GET A HIGHER SCORE THAN SASUKE!? HIS JUTSU NEEDED WATER!"

A voice from behind answered for Iruka.

"You see, this test is not to see who knows the biggest or most powerful Jutsu. It is to see how well you can do your Jutsu. Judging by young Sasuke's simple mistake he has yet to master this Jutsu, if you use this in combat, there is a possibility that you could make another simple mistake and it could cost your life."

Everyone except Naruto and Iruka were shocked that the Hokage had come to see them graduate.

"Ahh, Hokage-sama, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh, no. I just wanted to see this years batch of Genin, I have been so busy with paperwork I haven't been able to check on their status in class. Please, continue, pretend I'm not here."

Iruka nods.

Iruka couldn't help but shake his head when he thought about how nervous he used to be around the Hokage…

"Understood Hokage-sama."

"It is now time for the Shinobi Arts spar. You are allowed to use any Jutsu in your arsenal, just don't kill your opponent."

"First up, Kiba Inuzuka vs. Naruto Uzumaki"

"We got this one in the bag Akamaru."

Naruto just walked to the ring.

"Good luck, you can use any and all ninja tools, Jutsu, or weapons. If I suspect you are going for a killing blow I will be removing you from the charter. That means you would automatically be placed in the reserves and only called on in a time of war."

"Understood?"

Receiving a nod from both.

"Begin"

"Tch, you don't stand a chance. I've been training really hard! Just give up."

Naruto gave Kiba a nod before speaking.

"Hey Kibble, didn't I beat you on every part of the test? You should train harder."

Kiba stopped listening after the kibble comment and was about to charge in before he thought of something and got a wicked smirk on his face.

"Just for that, instead of beating you, I'm going to embarrass you."

Kiba thinking this will be easy, just goes through several hand seals.

"**Secret Jutsu: Four Legs Jutsu**"

Kiba hunched over as his hands and feet grew claws while his fangs extended.

Kiba launched at Naruto with speed on the border of Chunin level. The increase in speed allowed Kiba to land an elbow to Naruto's stomach. However, his water clones hit harder. The blow didn't even leave him winded. Naruto retaliated with a kick that Kiba barely managed to dodge.

When Kiba righted himself, he saw Naruto make a few hand seals.

"**Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu**"

The area became clouded with fog before nobody could see two feet in front of them.

With out bothering to test his theory, Kiba starts to mouth off.

"Hah, Idiot, I'm an Inuzuka. We hunt just as well with our noses as our eyes."

Kiba channeled chakra to his nose and took a whiff. His sense of smell was assaulted. It seemed as he was surrounded by him.

"What the hell? How is your scent everywhere?"

Naruto's voice came from everywhere. It sounded slightly demonic.

"**And you call me the idiot? This mist was created with my chakra. All the surrounding mist has my scent. You will never be able to track me here**."

As soon as Naruto was done talking, Kiba received a punch to the face. Before he could even think about recovering, he was pounded in the stomach by Naruto's foot. The fight went on for a few minutes like this. Kiba unable to find Naruto, and Naruto appearing from the mist, just long enough to hit Kiba before disappearing again.

Four minutes into the fight, the mist cleared to reveal a perfectly fine Naruto and a battered and bruised Kiba.

"Winner Naruto Uzumaki. Ok, Next up Choji vs. Shino."

Naruto ignored the rest of the fights. He knew what would happen with all of them anyways. Shino sucked chakra, Shikamaru would fight just long enough to show he could win and then give up, it would be pointless to pay attention.

"Ok, everyone to the classroom to find out who passed and who failed."

The class just sat in their seats talking about this and that until Iruka returned.

"Congratulations, everyone passed. The top five are, Naruto Uzumaki as rookie of the year, Sasuke Uchiha is a close second, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga, and Ino Yamanaka."

If one were to look at Sasuke you would see rage stretched across his face. His desk was slightly cracked from how hard he was squeezing it.

'_If I can't beat the blonde idiot, how am I going to kill _him!?_'_

Iruka began walking around the class handing out headbands. He gave Naruto a black one with an extra long cloth. Which Naruto put on his head sideways much like Zabuza's in his bingo book picture.

"Ok, some time today, you must go to the Hokage Tower to have your Shinobi ID picture taken. You all need to come back tomorrow for team placement."

After quickly getting his picture taken, Naruto was just walking around, he had nothing to do…receiving looks contempt from everyone, Naruto decided he would train for a while to clear his mind.

Four hours later, a slightly bloody, bruised and exhausted Naruto is laying in the middle of training ground 37. His mind is still clouded.

'_Why did I want to become a shinobi for this village? It's not like anyone likes me. I have no friends, no family, the only people to actually care about me are Lee, Tenten, possibly Neji, Sarutobi-sensei and Iruka-sensei.'_

Not liking the dark turn of his thoughts, Naruto decides to go home and go to sleep.

The next morning, we find Naruto Uzumaki roof hopping towards the shinobi academy. He had trained hard and forgot to set his alarm.

He burst through the classroom door to find everyone there and Iruka with the role call in his hands. Iruka gives him a pointed look before continuing.

"Ok, once again, congratulations on graduating. However, as ninja, your life just got a lot harder. Listen up for your name Team 1 is…"

Naruto noticed that the civilians with the least talent were the ones in teams 1-6.

"Team 7 will be Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno 'queue Sakura's declaration of true love' and… Naruto Uzumaki."

Everyone stopped at this. The tension between Naruto and Sasuke was easily noticed.

"Excuse me Iruka-sensei, I must have heard you wrong, did you just put me on the same team as both, the Uchiha and the bookworm?"

The whole class laughed at how true it was. While Sakura went red in the face and Sasuke just grunted.

"Sorry Naruto, these teams came directly from the Hokage."

Naruto just nodded, still not understanding why the old man would put him in this situation, with this team, it was torture.

"Team 8 will be Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame."

None of them had any complaints. Except Hinata who wanted to be on the same team as her… Hinata couldn't even think about being on his team without her face getting painfully red.

"Team 9 is still active, so Team 10 will be Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara."

This got three different reaction.

Ino started yelling about how Sakura got to be with 'Sasuke-kun' and she was stuck with the lazy pineapple head and the human garbage disposal.

Shikamaru just put his head down muttering to himself.

Choji just munched on his chips…

Three hours later, Team 7 is the only ones left. Iruka had left about an hour and a half ago. This left Naruto alone with his 'teammates' and he uses the word lightly.

Kakashi Hatake was walking towards the academy to pick up his future students. He knew they would be mad that he was late but he didn't care.

'_They will only be my _students_ for a day before they fail.'_

Kakashi had long since stopped bothering to even read their files. After the first 14 teams he failed he just didn't see the point of even knowing their names.

When Kakashi walked into the classroom, he was greeted with the sight of a pink haired girl fawning over a brooding black haired boy while a blonde haired boy appeared to be taking notes.

"Ahem."

This got all of their attention. Naruto quickly covered his ears. It proved to be smart because it turned out the pink one had a healthy set of lungs on her.

"**YOU'RE LATE**"

Blinking his eyes after having his ear drums assaulted he couldn't help but glare slightly at the girl.

"Shhhh_._ Iam right here after all."

The slight edge to his voice, and hard look in his eye made Sakura shiver in fear. The small dose of Killing intent may have had something to do with that though.

"Meet me on the roof."

With that he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

The two Genin just sat their, not sure what to do while Naruto stood up and started walking towards the stairs.

This seemed to snap the others out of their stupor and they followed him up.

When they arrived on the roof, they saw their future sensei sitting on a bench reading an orange book while letting out an occasional giggle. They just sat in front of him and waited to be acknowledged.

10 minutes of perverse giggling and the three Genin had still not been noticed.

Each showed there annoyance in different ways. Naruto's fists were clenched so hard that blood had actually been drawn. Sasuke kept his cold indifference on his face, with the exception of his twitching eyebrow. Sakura was glaring death at the one-eyed man.

Just when it looked like Sakura was gonna blow, the little orange book snapped shut.

The silver haired Jonin looked up, staring into the souls of each Genin.

"Sorry, that was my favorite part. Masaki sure is a dirty little girl."

Kakashi was internally smiling when he saw how close to the edge the three were.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake. Several years ago, I would have had you introduce yourselves. However, at this point I don't see a reason. Just know, 14 teams in seven years have taken this test. Zero have passed. Hell, none have even come close to passing. The test will be at Training ground seven tomorrow at seven. Do not eat. Failure to obey my orders is grounds to immediately fail."

Training Ground 7 at 7am

When Kakashi arrives at Training Ground 7 at 10am, he is greeted with a sight similar to every other time he has seen his team. Sasuke is brooding while Sakura stares at him. However, this time Naruto isn't here.

That is until he notices Naruto sitting at the stream at the edge of the training field.

"Gather round everyone so we can find out if your Genin material."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN GENIN MATERIAL? WE ARE ALREADY GENIN."

Kakashi doesn't even acknowledge the Kunoichi.

Naruto walked closer and leaned against a nearby tree to listen to their sensei.

"Well, only 33% of the class will actually become Genin. The rest will either be put in the reserves or be removed from the program."

This got the reaction he desired, almost. Two of the three Genin were floored.

Sakura's eyes were wide and her mouth was moving like a fish out of water.

Sasuke's head snapped toward the Jonin and glared death at him.

He was disappointed in Naruto's reaction who just rose his eyebrows and stared impassively. However, Kakashi wasn't an A-rank ninja for nothing, he could see the wheels turning in the blonde's mind.

"Your test will be to get a bell."

Kakashi pulled out two bells.

"But Kakashi-sensei there are only two bells."

Sakura's statement silenced the next think Kakashi was going to say before he managed to get passed the obvious statement without insulting the girl.

"Yes, that means that no matter what, one of you will fail. You have two hours. Oh, and if you want even the slightest chance than come at me with intent to kill. Begin."

All three Genin disappeared into different parts of the training ground. Sasuke was in a tree, Sakura was under a bush, and Naruto was in a tree near the same stream he was at before he arrived.

After 15 minutes, Kakashi got bored and decided to test them individually.

'_Maybe showing them how outclassed they are will make them see the true meaning…Nah. Never worked before.'_

It didn't take long for Kakashi to sneak up behind Sakura, she was so concentrated on looking for Sasuke that she didn't even notice he was two feet to her left.

'_She has a lot of work ahead of her. The only question is will she do it.'_

With the skills of an Elite Jonin, Kakashi casts a D-rank Genjutsu without hand seals or calling it out.

'_**Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Jutsu**__'_

Sakura was determinedly on the search for her 'Sasuke-kun'. After about 20 minutes she was getting frustrated. She began ranting about how incredible Sasuke-kun was to be able to hide so well. Her ranting were cut off by a weak voice.

"Sa-kur-a h-hel-help m-me."

"Sa-kur-a."

When the pink haired fangirl turned around she saw a most gruesome sight.

Sasuke was crawling on the ground, kunai and shuriken sticking from his back while blood dripped from his mouth. She did what any skilled Kunoichi would do. She screamed before fainting.

Kakashi just watched to proceedings with a sweat-drop.

'_I figured with her low chakra reserves, she would have turned to Genjutsu, I was obviously wrong.'_

Kakashi just shrugged and went off to find Sasuke who was not to far away.

As Kakashi walked past the tree he knew Sasuke was hiding in he heard the tell-tale sound of kunai flying through the air. Performing a seal-less _**Substitution **_just as 3 kunai impact the log.

Sasuke, seeing the Jonin escape knows he has to leave as his position is compromised, Sasuke quickly vacates the tree. He begins to look around for his new sensei but can't find him. Relaxing his guard slightly before a whisper reaches his ears.

"You shouldn't let your guard down."

Sasuke reacting on instinct, quickly turns and attempts to kick the Jonin, this turns out to be for not, as Kakashi just takes a step back and continues to read his book.

'_Jonin or not, I can't fail here!'_

Sasuke charges head on towards the obviously superior ninja. The Taijutsu match that occurs, is… Interesting.

The only point at which it seemed Sasuke had the upper hand, was when he managed to touch one of the bells. However, all that did was force Kakashi to put the book away, and Sasuke never even got close.

Even through his Uchiha pride, Sasuke can see that Kakashi is better than him at Taijutsu.

'_Lets see how he likes Ninjutsu.'_

Going through a few hand seals that make Kakashi's eye widen.

'_A Genin shouldn't have the chakra for that.'_

"**Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu**"

A small explosion occurs when the fireball hit. When the fire and smoke cleared, there was nothing there.

'_Hah, nobody can stand up to the Uchiha clan's Ninjutsu.'_

Sasuke heard a muffled voice that he was unable to understand.

It became clear that Kakashi was not dead when a pair of hands wrapped around his ankles and dragged him under the ground up to his neck. Before Kakashi reappeared from the ground.

"Your not bad… not good either, but not bad. I still have one more Genin to toy with before this test is over, have fun digging yourself out."

As Kakashi began the long walk over towards the stream, he sighed.

'_Maybe I could just let him come to me? No, this will be more fun. He probably uses water Ninjutsu. At least he knows he will need every advantage he can get.'_

And so, Kakashi was not far away from the stream, but the strange thing is that he can no longer sense Naruto.

'_It is as if Naruto was luring me into a trap. Nah, this is a fresh out of the academy Genin.'_

As Kakashi was walking towards the stream he had sensed Naruto at, he was side-stepping an occasional trip wire, he was noticing that the closer he got, the traps got more complex and harder to detect. He had to admit he was impressed.

That only brought him to the thought that he still couldn't sense the Genin.

'_Did he leave?'_

The answer to his question came when he saw the Genin standing about 50 yards away on the stream.

At this point several things surprised him.

If it wasn't for him being in sight, he wouldn't know where the Genin was. The fresh out of the academy _Genin, _was able to walk on water. However, the biggest surprise was the six foot katana strapped to his back.

While his attention was on his clone, the real Naruto snuck behind him to quickly add in traps to give the Jonin no escape.

The Jonin and the clone just stood there. Staring each other down. However, Kakashi's eyes widened when his danger sense told him to duck. Had he not, he would have lost his head to a Genin with a really big sword. When he looked towards the Naruto he had been staring down, he was surprised when it turned to water.

"Water clone? Surprising for an academy student."

"That's not all I know."

Naruto went through a few hand seals.

"**Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu**"

Naruto is almost positive that his skill in _**Silent Killing Jutsu **_is not high enough to fight Kakashi head on, but it may allow him to get a bell if he is underestimated.

'_Damn, this mist is so thick I can't even see my hand.'_

Having developed a dependency on his Sharingan, fighting with sound was never Kakashi's strong point. He quickly drew two kunai to defend himself.

Kakashi is thinking about how hard to fight this Genin, it is obvious he is skilled.

'_I may have to fight with a third of my ability.'_

Naruto can hear the tell-tale sound of kunai against leather.

'_He drew kunai. To bad he is to experienced to mess with his head… but maybe.' _

Naruto forms a hand seal and silently creates 5 _**Water Clones**_.

Kakashi is silently standing in the mist, just waiting for the attack. Then it comes. Kakashi blocks a slash from the zanbatou with a kunai and lashes out with his foot, dispelling the clone. Seeing his attacker be a water clone set Kakashi on edge.

The four remaining clones all charge at the Jonin from different sides. Kakashi, hearing the comparatively clumsy steps of the clones, is able to dodge the strike from the front and behind while redirecting the strikes from the sides to kill two of the clones.

The two remaining clones didn't last long as Kakashi dispelled the clones with a short burst of lightning charka.

'_He appears to be very skilled in __**Silent Killing **__I should get out of the mist to take away his advantage…I won't be able to see the traps but luckily I was able to memorize their location.'_

Kakashi began sprinting away in the same direction as he had come. He did not get far until he heard a sizzle sound. He immediately knew it was an exploding tag. He jumped to the left as fast as possible, only to activate a trap and have it send several kunai and shuriken at the Jonin.

'_He added traps after I came. These ones are more deadly. I have to admit he is good.'_

Kakashi was forced to continue dodging traps for a few minutes. A few even almost got him.

Kakashi is surprised when the mist begins to lift.

However, he is shocked when standing in front of him is the real Naruto holding two bells.

"Looks like I win."

Kakashi could only stare.

'_I got beat…by a Genin. A Genin.'_

If one were to look inside Kakashi's head right now, you would see a chibi-Kakashi crying while cuddling with two dolls, one with black hair and red eyes(Obito) and the other blonde hair and blue eyes(Minato).

Naruto's voice broke Kakashi out of his depression.

"If I were to fail the test, than what are my options, could I go back to the academy and wait until the next class?"

Kakashi just looked at him like he was stupid.

"No you would be put in the reserves until there is a need to bolster our forces."

Naruto started mumbling about stupid gay brooders and pink hair fangirls.

"Fine"

Naruto walked back to where Sakura was trying to dig out Sasuke while he sent her glares. It was a rather comical sight.

Naruto arrived slightly before Kakashi and threw the bells, one to Sakura and one to Sasuke, to say they were shocked was an understatement.

Sasuke's face went from shock to anger.

'_Is Naruto really stronger than me?'_

Kakashi got their attention before Shunshining away.

"Be here tomorrow at 7am"

And so began Team 7

**That is it! My re-write of Ch. 2 is done!**

**Please let me know what you think about what I have so far! That means Review!**


	3. Mission To Wave

**In case you didn't realize, I disliked a lot of early-cannon characters. Sakura is by far my least favorite, she did get better in Part 2...but not by much.**

**A few people mentioned about making him a missing nin, however, the problem with that, is Naruto is too loyal. Even in my story. He would never abandon Konoha because everyone didn't like him. He would stay, for the sole reason of those he cares for.**

**I had a couple comments about Naruto's respect, basically calling the Hokage, Sarutobi-sensei, I can see Sarutobi being fine with 'Old Man' from his surrogate grandson, but not from his student…**

Chapter 3 

Mission to Wave

Naruto Uzumaki is now positive he does not want to be a ninja for Konoha. In the last four months his teacher hasn't taught him anything. He hasn't taught his teammates anything either, but that just proves he is a horrible sensei. All they had done is work on teamwork, which is in all actuality attempting to work together and not have to have Kakashi stop one of them from killing another.

Even without the help of their sensei, Naruto and Sasuke are improving, so much so, that they are quickly leaving the other Genin behind. Meanwhile Sakura stays the same.

Naruto, using various training techniques given to him by his surrogate grandfather and secret part-time sensei, the Sandaime Hokage.

Sasuke, with access to the greatest Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu library in the elemental nations thanks to the Uchiha clan's Sharingan copying ability.

On top of that, the 'missions' are just doing chores that lazy civilians don't feel like doing. Well, that and catching the cat that he is sure is somehow related to the Two-Tailed Hellcat.

When Team 7 arrive in the Hokage tower, they are greeted by the smiling face of the Sandaime Hokage.

"Ahh, Team 7 welcome, we have some exciting missions, how about cleaning the Inuzuka kennels, catching Tora the cat…"

As the Hokage was reading off the missions, his secretary interrupted.

"Hokage-sama, Team 8 has returned from their first C-rank mission. Kurenai wanted me to inform you that her team will be unable to give their report until tomorrow, apparently they had some minor injuries."

The Hokage looked at the Genin, only to see a nervous Sakura, knowing where this is going, and an angry Naruto and Sasuke.

The old Kage just sighed.

"Thank you Akiri, you may go."

The Hokage's secretary nods before leaving the room.

"Kakashi, is your team ready for a C-rank mission?"

Kakashi seems to think about it for a second.

'_Hmm, if I say no, than I will have to hear them bitch all day until we take one. Plus, maybe that is just what they need. Their teamwork is horrible and maybe a life or death situation is just what they need.'_

"Hmm, I think they could handle it."

This got both Naruto and Sasuke in a slightly better mood, and Sakura even more scared.

"Send in Tazuna."

Whatever, the Genin were expecting. An old drunk was not it.

"These are the _elite ninja _I hired? What kind of ninja village is this? They look more like babysitters than ninja. Well the one with the big sword looks ok… but I don't know."

Before Sakura and Sasuke can berate the drunken bridge builder, Kakashi states in his usual, lazy tone.

"Ok, team, be at the North gate in two hours."

When Kakashi arrives his normal three hours late he is greeted by an angry pink banshee and an irate drunken bridge builder. Not that he cares. He got lost on the road to life, it was exciting.

"Lets go, what are you waiting for?"

Naruto just rolls his eyes at his _sensei. _While Sasuke just grunts.

About 8 hours into the journey, Naruto sees some puddles. However, he can feel they are not normal. He can hear the subtle noises indicating someone hiding. _'Genjutsu'_ Naruto glances back at Kakashi and he doesn't seem to be paying any attention to anything but his book.

He does notice that Sasuke seemed to be aware of the soon to be attackers.

As they walk past the puddles and nothing happens, Naruto begins to believe he is just being paranoid.

However, that changes as two mist nin emerge from the puddles and cut Kakashi to pieces using a chain.

"One down-"

"Four to go."

When the two Chunin level ninja charge head first at the Genin, Sakura and Tazuna are scared stiff while Naruto and Sasuke take action.

When Sasuke throws a kunai at the one on the right, he just blocks it with the large gauntlet on his right hand and continues to charge.

When Naruto sees the charging Chunin, he pulls out his sword.

'_Time to see how good I am. I can't use _**Hidden Mist **_because then Sasuke won't be able to see. On top of that there isn't any water here for any high level Ninjutsu.'_

Since Sasuke has the one on the right, Naruto goes for the one on the left. He ducks under the first swipe of the Chunin's clawed gauntlet and tries to retaliate with his sword. The Chunin is able to block the swing with the chain, but it causes the chain to break.

Naruto jumps back and goes through the hand signs for the only offensive water Ninjutsu he can do without a water source.

"**Water Release: Gunshot Jutsu**"

The Chunin expertly dodges the first two water bullets but takes the third to the shoulder and the last to the chest. The water bullet winds the Chunin and Naruto tries to remove the Chunin's left arm but the nin's experience is well beyond Naruto's.

The nin tilts his shoulder back to dodge the swing and slams his fist into Naruto's face. Naruto's face showed shock before morphing into a smirk as the Genin dissolved into water.

When the Chunin heard the footsteps, he jumped back to avoid the swing of the large zanbatou. However, he was just a little too late and received a cut across his chest. This only served to make the Chunin mad.

Having come from Kiri, a land crawling with wanna-be zanbatou users, the Demon Brothers are well versed in combating a zanbatou, the Chunin quickly got in close, to close for the giant sword to be of any use.

Thinking quickly, Naruto was able to use the handle of the giant sword to break the nin's jaw. Without hesitation, Naruto brought the sword around to remove the man's head, however, before he could, the Chunin blocked with his clawed hand, unfortunately for the Kiri nin, he was to tired and disoriented to stop the force of the attack and the heavy sword forced the gauntlet into the man's own face.

Naruto watched as the mist nin dropped to the ground, unconscious.

*Sasuke's fight*

When Sasuke's kunai was blocked, he got in close for a Taijutsu match. It turned out to be a poor decision as he was unable to land any hits and spends the whole time trying to dodge the more skilled ninjas attacks. When Sasuke tried to put some distance between them for Ninjutsu, the mist nin wouldn't let him have it. He stayed too close.

While Sasuke was back pedaling, trying to get some much needed breathing space, he was able to see the opening he needed. Drawing a kunai, he jammed it into the elbow joint of the gauntlet making the Chunin unable to move his attacking arm. This allowed Sasuke to land several devastating Taijutsu hits, or at least it would have been if it wasn't a young Genin against a grown, experienced Chunin. Sasuke's hits just didn't cause enough damage.

Just as Sasuke drew two kunai to fix the problem, Kakashi made himself known by rendering Sasuke's opponent unconscious.

"Good job team. Tazuna, you have some explaining to do. Guarding you from ninja wasn't part of our mission…"

While Tazuna gives his sob story, Naruto isn't paying attention.

The thought going through Naruto's head is simple.

'_I-I almost killed him, I wanted to kill him. If he wasn't able to block, I would have killed him. Is there something wrong with me? I know that ninjas kill, but is it good to want to?'_

Naruto was so lost in thought that he never noticed that they voted and decided to continue the mission.

As they continued, Sasuke just brooded even more than usual.

'_He was able to beat his opponent but I couldn't.'_

Three days of civilian paced walking later brings Team 7 and Tazuna to the land of waves. While everyone else is staring at the scenery or the bridge that could be scene in the distance, Naruto is staring at the water. He has never felt so powerful. He found that when your strongest attacks rely on water, the more that is around you, the better you feel.

When they arrived at the shore, a boatman was waiting to take them across.

"Hey Tazuna, lets go."

"Lets hurry Gichi, we don't want Gato's men to find us."

The whole trip, Gichi and Tazuna were searching for any movement that could be Gato's thugs.

The trip across the sea was very short and quiet. The most exciting thing was seeing the bridge up close.

When they got to shore, Gichi left in a hurry.

The further they walked the thicker the mist got.

Naruto heard a sound that was something like metal on rock in a bush next to where they were. Acting on instinct, Naruto threw a kunai in the bush. When the Genin inspected it, they saw a white rabbit that looked

scared to death with a kunai in the tree not an inch above it's head.

"BE CAREFUL NARUTO-BAKA, YOU ALMOST HURT HIM!"

Sakura's screeching almost drowned out the distinct sound of water, flying through the air.

"DUCK!"

The Genin dragged Tazuna down while Kakashi went down too.

Everyone turned, to see the water dragon impact a tree and cause it to break in half.

When Kakashi looked up, he really began wishing they would have taken a different mission. Standing next to his zanbatou was Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist.

Just as he was about to call out who their opponent was, Naruto beat him to it. He just did it with a tone of hero worship instead of worry or fear.

"Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist, A- rank missing nin of Kiri, one of the Seven Swordsmen, wielder of Kubikiribocho. And… MY HERO!"

Everyone just looked at Naruto like he was crazy. When Naruto noticed he just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, it's just, if it wasn't for you I would probably be some orange wearing loudmouthed idiot who only knows one Jutsu and can't stop screaming about how I want to be Hokage. Heh...Heh."

Zabuza almost laughed at the image in his head.

"How did I do that?"

"When I was nine I found your entry from the Bingo Book on the street. When I read it, I decided I was gonna be just like you. But better."

"Hahahahahahahaha. Who would have thought I would inspire some snot nosed little brat like you. If you want to be like me, than kill the bridge builder."

"Sorry Zabuza but no can do. I have my mission just like you have yours."

"I can respect that gakI, only a fool would surrender his mission because an enemy asks him to. Now than Kakashi, how about we get this started."

Without warning, Zabuza started to emit his full killing intent, this proved to have the desired effect as Sakura and Tazuna were on their knees and about to pass out, Sasuke was breathing heavily and contemplating suicide, while Naruto was sweating like crazy and panting slightly.

Kakashi sighed knowing this was not going to be an easy fight.

In response to the missing nin's killer intent, he simply released a burst of chakra, this had a calming effect on his team.

'_Maybe this won't be to boring after all, I remember hearing that the once great Hatake Kakashi hasn't seriously trained since he left the Anbu. Lets see if it's true. I shouldn't have any issues, even at my current level.'_

Immediately Zabuza jumped onto the water and went through hand signs.

"**Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu**"

The mist was so thick that there was nothing you could see. The Jonin began their fight and the only one outside of Zabuza and Kakashi who had any idea what was happening was Naruto. It was just hard to concentrate with his still shaking teammate and client so close by and creating noise.

It was then that he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. On instinct, Naruto drew his zanbatou and it clashed with Zabuza's.

"You're not half bad gakI."

The Zabuza dispelled into water before another one attacked from the other side.

Naruto was able to block this one too. However, the force caused Naruto to drop to a knee.

"If you are going to fight a zanbatou battle you need more strength. What are you? Chunin?"

"Genin. The Chunin exams had occurred about two months after I graduated so we didn't qualify."

"Interesting."

The Zabuza clone dispelled itself.

About 30 seconds later, Zabuza allows the mist to lift, revealing him, holding Kakashi in a dome made of water.

"I got your sensei now hand over the bridge builder."

Naruto looked at his sensei, the blonde genin could see the anger and disappointment in the silver haired ninja's eye. Not towards them or anyone else really, but towards himself. The smirk on Zabuza's face said it all. One of Konoha's strongest ninja was tricked.

Kakashi turned to his students with more seriousness then they had ever seen.

"Take the client and run. If you try and fight, you will only die."

Naruto just sighed, completely ignoring their sensei's words before turning to Sasuke.

"The Water prison requires physical contact. All we have to do is separate his arm from the Jutsu."

"Well then lets see him dodge this."

"**Fire Release: Grand Fireball Jutsu**"

"Hah, you will have to do better than that."

Zabuza just swings his sword into the water causing a giant splash, big enough of extinguish the fireball.

"Well then, I guess we will just have to try harder."

Naruto runs to stand on the water before going through hand seals much faster than a Genin should be able to.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu**"

This got a shocked expression from, not only Zabuza, but Kakashi as well.

'_This kid is a Genin and can already use a high B-rank Jutsu. He would be a great tool…then again that didn't work out so well last time.'_

'_Hokage-sama said he was good at Ninjutsu but I had no idea.'_

A giant dragon made of water, charged at Zabuza at inhuman speeds.

Zabuza was forced to release Kakashi.

Sasuke just stared at Naruto in anger and jealousy.

Zabuza and Kakashi jumped in different directions to avoid the Jutsu.

However, much to Zabuza's shock, the dragon changed directions slightly and moved towards him, considerably slower than it's original attack.

'_The GakI is probably only thirteen and he has already begun elemental manipulation.'_

Knowing he needed to stop the dragon, Zabuza blurred through several hand seals.

"**Water Release: Water Encampment Wall Jutsu**"

A spinning wall of water surrounded Zabuza.

After firing four water bullets, that just burst against the wall, the dragon, too slammed into the water wall and burst, the wall and dragon returning to the sea.

Zabuza looked at Naruto with something akin to pride at being responsible for turning him from an orange wearing loudmouth to a true shinobi.

Kakashi didn't know what to feel, part of him wanted to settle on pride, but he wasn't responsible for teaching him anything, the other part was shame that he had a student with such potential and didn't even bother to find out. However, remembering the way his sensei taught him, he knew he was in the right.

'_Konoha is nothing without Teamwork. Once they can learn to fight along side each other, then I will teach them.'_

Without warning, Zabuza charged for Kakashi. Kakashi was able to block the blow with a kunai, but he was losing the power struggle.

"**Water Release: Gunshot Jutsu**"

Zabuza was forced to jump back to dodge the water bullet.

"Kid, if you keep interfering I may have to kill you."

This caused Naruto to pale slightly.

Kakashi decided he was going to have to get serious if he wanted to win, lifting his headband, Kakashi was just barely able to dodge the attacks from with in mist.

Kakashi started going through his own hand seals.

"**Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Jutsu**"

Kakashi expels gale force winds from his mouth, dispelling the mist.

Zabuza, seeing his cover gone, begins going through the hand seals for one of his favorite Jutsu. However, with his Sharingan active, Kakashi is able to easily copy them.

Both Kakashi and Zabuza yell out their Jutsu.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu**"

Two giant dragons made of water are formed. Zabuza's being much larger. If one were to look at both Zabuza and Kakashi, it is obvious that Kakashi's chakra is fading a lot faster than Zabuza's. Kakashi is breathing hard and a layer of sweat was falling from his forehead, while Zabuza is only breathing slightly hard.

When Kakashi's water dragon is beaten, it is barely able to take Zabuza's with it.

"Hmpf, not bad. For your water dragon to have been able to take mine out when I've mastered every aspect of elemental manipulation is damn good."

Zabuza, obviously noticing Kakashi's state, begins more hand seals.

'_I should be able to get him with the Sharingan…'_

Kakashi immediately begins to copy the Jutsu. However, he notices one big problem…Zabuza had his eyes closed.

Having already built up a large amount of chakra for the Jutsu, Kakashi knows the backlash of just releasing it would be worst then to just fire off the Jutsu, so he just finishes the hand seals at the same time as Zabuza.

"**Water Release: Water Shockwave Jutsu**"

Around each of them, water swirls up like a tornado before coming crashing down, However, the two waves meet in the middle and simply raise the water level.

Meanwhile, Naruto quickly grabs Tazuna and jumps into a tree, waving for the others to follow. Seeing the large amount of water, they quickly do.

Now, Kakashi knows he can't do to much more…

'_Damn, I'm almost out of chakra, and he still looks good…Shit…If only I had been able to catch him with hypnosis…He must have fought a sharingan user before.'_

Giving Kakashi a knowing smirk, Zabuza performs three short hand seals that Kakashi recognizes.

Kakashi, not having the chakra for anything else, just prepares for a simple _**Substitution**_.

However, to both of their shock there are two shouts.

One from Zabuza.

"**Water Release:** **Water Fang Jutsu**"

The other from Naruto.

"**Water Release: Five Eating Sharks**"

Several water drills fly from the water and pierce the log that Kakashi switched with, turning it to splinters.

Naruto slams his hands on the water and it doesn't take long for sharks made of water to begin jumping from the surface of the water to attack Zabuza.

In a strangely acrobatic display, Zabuza spins and destroys all five sharks in one attack. However, his victory is short lived when they just reform as soon as they hit the water.

'_I __**hate **__this Jutsu, as long as the user channels chakra, the sharks keep reforming. This was always Kisame's favorite Jutsu.'_

Zabuza goes through a few hand seals while dodging the water based sharks. Zabuza slams a single hand on the water before continuing to dodge.

"**Water Release: Water Demon's Appetite**"

A large head made of water that looks like a cross between and ape and a snake emerges from beneath Naruto. He is quick to abandon his shark Jutsu in favor of staying alive.

However, even as he jumps away, the 'demon's' tongue shoots from its mouth and grabs Naruto by the waist and drags the boy under.

As the demon's tongue pulls Naruto down, he turns to water.

"Substituted with a water clone? Good work."

"**Water Release: Gunshot Jutsu**"

Zabuza dodges the incoming water bullets. Right after the forth passes by, the Mist Jonin raises his sword and blocks Naruto's attempt to remove his head.

Meanwhile on shore

Kakashi is there, still panting and trying to figure out a way to end this fight with none of his charges getting injured. He can't believe the amount of Ninjutsu the genin knew. He knew Ninjutsu specialist Chunin that had not only less in number, but also less skill at using them.

The thoughts of the black haired Genin are slightly darker.

'_How is Naruto able to do all this? Is my hate not enough? Why am I so weak?'_

The mind of the pink haired Kunoichi are similar but different.

'_When did Naruto get so strong?' _

Tazuna was confused.

'_Man, this kid is great, he is able to keep up with the bad guy when the Jonin guy couldn't.'_

With Naruto and Zabuza

"Your good for your age kid, but you have a long way to go. Lets see how your Kenjutsu is."

Naruto jumped back to get some room from the Jonin.

Zabuza pointed Kubikiribocho at Naruto with one hand. Naruto responded by dropping into a sword stance with his legs spread wide and his sword out to the side. Obviously a defensive position.

Without warning, Zabuza disappeared from the sight of everyone except Kakashi who saw just fine, and Naruto who saw little more than a blur.

Naruto brings his sword up to block the incoming strike but the force sends him skidding across the water for about twenty feet.

'_I need to fight force with force, his sword weighs as much as me, add in that it is moving ridiculously fast, it is like trying to stop a freight train.'_

Having never fought against a zanbatou before, this is a learning experience.

Seeing Zabuza go for a diagonal slash across his chest, Naruto swings for the point of impact with as much strength as he can.

When Zabuza sees Naruto's move he smirks, not that you can see it behind the bandages.

The force the two blows make, cause a large ripple in the water. The fight goes on, Zabuza attacking and Naruto defending while trying to counter but being unable to.

With Kakashi

'_Ok, I think I have enough chakra.'_

Kakashi sprints towards the fight, going through hand seals.

"**Lightning Release: Chidori!**"

Zabuza looks over, just in time for his eyes to be drawn to the large ball of lightning in Kakashi's hand.

'_He's to close!'_

Just as the lightning was about to hit Zabuza, a small ice wall appeared, Kakashi's fist punched right through the wall and just barely reached Zabuza, sending the man, convulsing in the water, his bleeding stomach dyed the water red.

Before Kakashi could even take stock of the situation, a girl with black hair and brown eyes _Shunshined___and grabbed Zabuza before _Shunshining___away.

Not ten seconds after covering his gifted eye, Kakashi's only visible eye rolled into the back of his head and he passed out. He would have sunk if Naruto didn't grab him by the neck of his Jonin vest.

'_That eye of his must take a stupid amount of chakra. He should just get used to fighting without it, it's more of a hindrance the way he is now.'_

The three Genin, one bridge builder and one unconscious Jonin made their way to the bridge builder's home.

Meanwhile in Konoha

At the North gate we see what could be an unusual sight if it didn't happen every day. Izumo complaining about being bored while Kotetsu sleeps. However, he notices three figures walking towards the village.

One appears to be about 14 and has light blue hair, glasses and a very large dual hilted sword wrapped in bandages on his back. With a Kiri forehead protector attached to his sword harness.

Beside him is an older man, early forties, his hair was a similar color to the younger boy's, but he had an eye patch on his right eye, with a standard Kiri forehead protector.

However, it was the leader of the group that got their attention. She was about 5'6", long russet red hair in a top knot that reached her knees with some of her bangs covering her right eye. Her skin tight blue dress did nothing to hide her generous curves. Her supple D-cup breasts, her long legs, her toned abs, the two Chunin were blatantly staring at this point.

When the three arrived at the gate, the Chunin still did not snap out of their daze.

The older male was about to speak when the female cut him off.

Mei just smiled sweetly, maybe a little too sweetly.

"Konoha nin,"

Her melodic voice sent shivers down their spines, out of fear or lust, one may never know.

"If you don't stop staring…then I'll _melt _what makes you a man."

Fear, definitely fear.

This snapped the two Chunin out of their daze.

"Yes how may we help you?"

Ao decided to step forward before the Mizukage crushes any hope of an alliance with Konoha by killing their gate guards.

"Mei Terumi, here to see your Hokage."

The two guards had been notified the day before about a group from Kiri to speak to the Hokage.

"Hai, the ANBU will escort you to the tower."

As if they were reading each other's minds, a bird masked ANBU member appeared.

As they were walking through the village, Mei just sighed. In Kiri everyone thought she was hot but respected her as the Mizukage enough to not stare. Here every man stopped and stared. It was getting annoying. Even some of the females stopped to stare, some to admire the view while others glared at her for being so beautiful.

As they walked into the Hokage's office, it was almost identical to hers, except this is red while hers is blue.

When Sarutobi stood to address the newcomers, he was shocked at the new Mizukage's beauty. Being the perverted old man he is, his mind went to the gutter before returning, however, not fast enough to stop the trickle of blood.

When Mei saw this, she wasn't sure if she should be happy or angry, happy she could user her feminine _assets_ to get the alliance, or mad that she was being checked out by a man in his seventies.

"Hokage-dono" Mei gave a slight bow.

"Mizukage-dono" Sarutobi returned the bow.

With Team 7

Sasuke carried Kakashi since Naruto was tired, that did not stop the Uchiha from glaring angrily at Naruto.

'_I did as _he_ said, I should be stronger. Why am I so weak?'_

Between Sasuke's anger, and Sakura's confusion, Naruto was the only one who noticed the current state of the town, as they passed through, beggars all over the place, the food stores were nearly empty, in other words the town was on the verge of dieing out.

When they arrived at Tazuna's house, it was in much better shape than the rest of the town, since most of Tazuna's work is out of the village, he is probably the richest person in the town, however, he just spent all his money on material and protection for his bridge.

Tazuna led them into the house.

"Tsunami, Inari I'm back!"

Almost instantly a beautiful woman appeared, she seemed to be in her mid twenties and had long black hair that held just a hint of blue.

"Oh Dad, I was so worried about you."

Tsunami gives her dad a hug. Then Inari, a rather depressed looking brown haired boy comes down the stairs and gives Tazuna a hug before heading back up to his room.

"Excuse me, Tsunami-san. Do you have somewhere we can put our sensei while he recovers?"

The now identified Tsunami leads them to another room with several futons in it.

Sasuke lays Kakashi on the mat and closes the door as he leaves.

They all decided to get some sleep after such a long journey.

Three days later.

Naruto is sitting cross-legged on the water, he is trying to use his chakra to force the water into a whirlpool, he was practicing water nature manipulation.

When Kakashi said he was gonna start teaching tree climbing, he was happy. However, he was happy that he knew the training method already, he even knew the more advanced level.

Unfortunately, the Jonin refused to teach him anything else until the whole team knew it. That lead to him working on his own training.

Kakashi had also called in a request for back-up, it arrived in the form of an ANBU member named Yamato.

Since then he has spent the last three days practicing water elemental manipulation. Only returning in the evening to sleep. Currently, Naruto is sitting on the water while trying to create a whirlpool around him using only his chakra. He had already finished the first step of creating a small one with his hand.

Naruto reaches for the hilt of his sword only to immediately regret leaving his sword with his shirt on shore.

"To what do I owe the honor Zabuza?"

"I have got to say that you are really advanced for a Genin."

In Konoha

Mei was stressed. Both her and the Hokage had agreed to the terms of an alliance, however, the Fire Daimyo had to get involved and was nervous about being backstabbed. She couldn't really blame him with Kiri's bloody past. After speaking with the Water Daimyo, they both agreed that this would be a blood alliance. That means that they need to agree to an arranged marriage. While that wouldn't be to big of a deal, she isn't positive of who she can trust with this. The bloodline clans are still mad about The Bloodline Massacre as it is now called and could use the pull to take their revenge. While she is not sure if she can trust the non-bloodline clans not to use their pull to organize another civil war.

After two days of talking about it, she had yet to decide who could become the aspect of a blood alliance.

However, it didn't take long for Sarutobi to come up with an idea for his own candidate.

The old Kage frowned in thought before an overwhelming smile reached his face and eyes, the like had not been seen on the face of Sarutobi since the birth of his grandson.

"I know you are still in deliberation, but I have just the man. He is the heir to one of the strongest clans to ever come from Konoha, however, the clan actually originated from Water Country…"

The Water Daimyo's represenative spoke up.

"On that matter, we shall break for two weeks to allow you each to pick, and converse with your advisors."

In Wave

Naruto's hand was still raised over his head, where the hilt of his sword would be. When he turned to Zabuza he was surprised to see no Kubikiribocho.

"I'm not here to fight gakI, I'm here to talk."

"I told you once, even though I don't hold much love for Konoha, I won't betray it."

Zabuza just sat down on a log and indicated for the genin to sit across from him.

Hesitating slightly, Naruto can feel no ill-intent coming from Zabuza.

He sighs, _'Everything I ever learned tells me I should try and distract him and get back to my teammates. But I think I will listen to what he has to say… Either way, this is not a good idea'_

Naruto, now sitting across from Zabuza, waiting.

"I want your help gakI."

"I already told you I won't…"

"I know, I know, that has nothing to do with this. You saw my accomplice?"

When Naruto nods, he continues.

"Her name is Haku. She thinks I only see her as a tool, a weapon to be wielded until I don't need it any more… She couldn't be more wrong. When I first picked her up, she was starving, she had killed her father in self defense when he discovered that she had a bloodline and tried to kill her. When I saw the loyalty I could get from her, yea, I took her in with the reason of her becoming my tool. However, the longer I spent traveling with her, the closer I found myself to her. I began to see her as my own daughter. I started treating her better, I was kinder, the whole nine yards. Then, I almost lost her. A bounty hunter came after me. I never got his name, but no mater what I cut off, strings would reattach it."

Zabuza shuddered slightly at remembering the money crazed bounty hunter.

"This guy was out of my league. He made the Mizukage look like an everyday Chunin. He could use all five elements with the use of these mask things on his back. I managed to cut one of the masks in half and he got furious. He combined his fire and wind Jutsu to make a huge stream of fire, I was unable to dodge, as it was about to hit me, Haku pushed me out of the way and took the attack. In my shock I yelled out her name in fear she was dead. However, she used her bloodline to save herself. However, with my outburst, Kakuzu knew I cared for her. He started targeting her. We managed to escape when some weird guy in a Venus fly trap showed up to talk to him."

"After that I got cold again, I tried to force myself to view her as a tool, but it wouldn't happen. I treat her like a tool but think of her as a daughter."

"Wow…why share this with me? I could use it against you."

"You could, but I don't think you would."

"Ok, so, what do you want from me?"

"I want you to make sure she lives."

Naruto gets a confused look.

"I know I can beat Kakashi, but Kakashi and the back-up he called… I don't know. Haku has a bad tendency of saving my life and having it almost cost hers. I don't think I could forgive myself if she gave her life for me… Here."

Zabuza handed two scrolls to Naruto.

"That one is for you, it's how you improve your _**Silent Killing Jutsu**_, the other is for Haku if I don't make it."

Naruto nodded.

"I'll be attacking in four days. That is the least I can give you as long as you keep your end of the deal."

Naruto nodded again.

With his piece said, Zabuza walks away.

"One condition."

Zabuza stops to look at the young blond, waiting for the boy's proposition.

"I want you to agree, that you won't go after the bridge builder until we're all dead."

Zabuza looked at him, staring into his eyes before nodded and walking away.

In Konoha

Mei was still unsure of what to do.

'_Maybe I should just do it. NO, I can't do that to him, I promised I would wait for him.'_

"DAMN IT, I ONLY HAVE ONE MORE WEEK TO FIGURE IT OUT!"

Ao could only watch sadly as his leader was stuck between doing what is right for her village and what is right for her heart.

In wave

For the next three days, Naruto spent all his time training alone, with an occasional visit from Yamato, a man that seemed to be Kakashi's friend, though even he expressed his disappointment in Kakashi's continuation of the mission. He had taken over the training of Team 7. He gave Naruto tips for Nature Manipulation, helped Sakura with her small reserves, and he taught Sasuke a couple Ninjutsu. Overall, he did more for Team 7 in three days, then Kakashi did in five months. In Kakashi's defense, he was a firm believer in teamwork and the current team didn't have any.

Naruto had advanced slightly on his water manipulation, and his _**Silent Killing**_ but there was only so much he could learn in three days.

Finally, the day of the attack is here. Naruto had considered informing the others, but decided against it since it could be viewed as traitorous to be conversing with the enemy.

However, without the knowledge of the others, he made several _**Shadow-Water Clones **_to protect the house.

They were like Shadow clones since the have their own chakra networks but took less chakra since they have a medium. However, the medium stops them from sending the memory back to the original. They can perform Ninjutsu but only of their element.

When the five ninja arrived at the bridge, they saw that all the workers were either unconscious or dead.

**That is it for Ch. 3! I'm going to divide the wave mission into two parts.**

**Please review!**


	4. Battle Of the Bridge

Chapter 4

Battle on the Bridge/Kiri's Much Need Alliance

Overlooking the unconscious workers, Sakura paled and began wishing she wasn't there, Sasuke was excited about fighting a strong opponent, even if in the back of his mind he knows that he is no match for Zabuza. Not that he will ever admit that to himself or anyone else.

Naruto was slightly somber at what could happen that day, a girl could lose her 'father'. Kakashi was worried about his Genin.

The Konoha nin were greeted with a sight that they really did not want to see. In front of them was Zabuza, Haku, and, surprisingly, the Demon Brothers.

As if a silent conversation went on between Naruto, Sasuke and Yamato, it was decided that Kakashi and Yamato would fight Zabuza, Naruto would take Haku and Sasuke would fight the Demon Brothers.

The Demon Brothers charged straight ahead, only to be intercepted by Sasuke.

"**Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Jutsu**"

The Demon Brothers separated to avoid the Jutsu.

With Sasuke's new control over his chakra, he is able to channel it into his legs better, making him much faster than before.

The Demon Brothers not having been expecting this were thrown off by his increase in speed. He still faced the same problem as before, but to a lesser degree. He rectified that by wearing steel plated gloves that Kakashi had given him. They were leather gloves with a steel plate over the hand and knuckles.

With Naruto

"Well then Haku, should we take this elsewhere and allow the adults to play?"

Without waiting for a response, he left via _**Mist Shunshin **_while leaving a very noticeable chakra trail for the girl to follow to the other end of the bridge.

Haku glanced at her 'master'. He just gave her a nod as if he didn't care.

She pursued the blonde haired Genin.

The chase ended at the very edge of the bridge. Waiting for her was the blonde Genin who was able to fight Zabuza, even if her master wasn't trying that hard.

"So, your Zabuza's apprentice?"

Haku, having never had a fight where neither party wanted to fight just shook her head no.

"I am his tool to be used when he wants and how he wants, I follow his every order."

Naruto just quirked his eyebrow. But already expecting something along those lines.

"That doesn't sound fun at all."

Haku drew a senbon with each hand.

"It doesn't need to be, I owe Zabuza-sama my life, now, fight or die."

Haku charged at speeds rivaling most high Chunin, she wanted to end this fight fast because her 'master' was fighting two Konoha Jonin. He may need her help.

She began a brutally vicious attack, if not for Naruto's borderline insane training regimen, he was sure he would already have lost.

Luckily, his large sword enabled him to block both, her left and right hands which were wielding senbon needles with deadly accuracy.

Every time Naruto attempts a counter, his attack is dodged with more grace than even the legendary Hyuga clan.

Naruto, tired of being on the defensive, decided he would turn it up. The next strike came from Haku's left hand, it was going straight for Naruto's heart, However, this is exactly what he wanted. Instead of just blocking the strike, he put force behind it. When the flat side of the zanbatou hit Haku's hand, she cried out in pain over her now bruised, possibly broken hand.

In an attempt to knock her out quick, Naruto goes through the hand seals for his favorite water Ninjutsu outside of the _**Hidden Mist Jutsu **_.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu**"

A giant dragon, larger than either Zabuza's or Kakashi's had been was formed, instead of shooting water bullets, it charged straight at Haku.

Just as the dragon was about to slam into her, a small ice mirror was created.

Though the mirror was cracked, it still held the water dragon in place until it dispersed.

After rubbing some of the pain in her hand away, Haku just stares impassively at Naruto.

"It appears it is time to end this."

"Indeed it does."

They both begin to go through hand seals.

"**Ice Release: Demonic Ice Mirror Jutsu**"

Naruto watches as mirrors made of ice appear around him. He gets even more interested when Haku steps into the one mirror, and she is displayed on all of them."

"This is a very interesting Jutsu. Now I will show you a Jutsu I created two years ago, on accident."

"**Water Release: Choking Fog Jutsu**"

Mist surrounds Naruto and the mirrors, much like it would for the _**Hidden Mist Jutsu**_, However, Haku noticed one thing.

"This mist, it is thick. Very thick. 'cough' interesting."

"Yes, it is the only Jutsu I ever made."

*Flashback 1 year after turning serious*

Naruto Uzumaki, the 'Demon Brat' of Konoha was panting while staring at his sensei, Iruka. He had been trying to get his first water Ninjutsu, it would be his first step to becoming like Zabuza.

He had spent the last year increasing his strength, speed and chakra control. Now it is time for Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Kenjutsu training.

"Naruto, you need to use less chakra, you can already do both the tree climbing and the water walking, but you need to improve your control more."

Naruto gave a determined nod. He wouldn't fail.

"Ok"

"**Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu**"

Suddenly, water from the stream they were standing on began to form a mist, the mist got to the point of not being able to see anything around you but it just kept getting thicker.

As Iruka was standing there, he found himself really impressed.

'_The Hokage just showed him the Jutsu two days ago and he can already do it.'_

As Iruka stood there with a proud smile on his face.

Iruka found himself having some trouble breathing. After several minutes he was ready to run out of the mist when Naruto heard his sensei's labored breathing and he canceled the Jutsu.

When the mist cleared, Iruka took a deep, haggard breath of the dry air.

"What was that!?"

*End Flashback*

With the Jonin

Zabuza was just staring down the two Konoha Jonin. It was well known that while Kakashi was once one of the strongest Jonin, he had fallen into depression with the death of his sensei. Now, he is at best, a average Jonin in skill. The part that worried him was that Kakashi was never known to be a powerhouse, he combined his power with knowledge, if his brain didn't dull then the fight could get ugly.

However, the way Konoha's backup Jonin was standing. It reminded Zabuza of himself. He was sure Kakashi would be easy to take out, it was this new Jonin he was worried about.

"I know Kakashi, but you, not so much. How about an introduction?"

"I am Yamato."

After Zabuza waited for a few seconds for him to continue and he didn't Zabuza shrugged.

Without further delay, Zabuza went through the hand seals for his most famous Jutsu.

"**Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu**"

A mist began to surround the three and Kakashi finally put away his book. While Yamato drew a kunai in each hand.

Zabuza decided to try and mess with their heads.

"So, who wants to die first?"

Yamato spun and blocked the large zanbatou with his kunai, the force sent him skidding back, before he could retaliate, Zabuza disappeared back into the mist.

Kakashi yawned as this was going on.

"Bored? Well than lets liven it up."

Using the skills of an elite Jonin, Zabuza goes through hand seals and thinks his next Jutsu.

'_**Water Release: Water Clone Jutsu**_'

Nine water clones appear, not that Kakashi and Yamato know.

Two clones and the original begin targeting Kakashi while seven go after Yamato.

Yamato was standing in the thick mist in a defensive position. It was only years of experience that allowed him to notice Zabuza attack from his right. He was able to block the large zanbatou. He noticed it was considerably weaker than the last.

'_Clone!'_

Just as he was about to destroy the clone, he was forced to duck under a swing from his right side. By the time he regained his bearings, both clones had already disappeared into the mist. That was how Yamato's fight went, he would block or dodge and before he could retaliate against the clone, another one would come to it's rescue.

With Kakashi

Kakashi, using the precognition of the Sharingan, dodged under the sword and was able to score a hit and dispel the clone. However, could already feel the drain from his implanted eye and it had only been ten minutes.

While Kakashi was mentally celebrating, he missed the clone coming up behind him.

As the clone's sword was aiming to cut Kakashi down the middle, Kakashi, Zabuza and his clone's all heard Yamato's shout.

"**Earth Release: Rising Stone Spears Jutsu**"

The spears made of earth killed three clones, one of which was about to kill Kakashi, However, there was to much delay and he received a shallow cut across his back.

"GAH!"

Nearly everyone on the bridge heard Kakashi's cries of pain.

With Sakura and Tazuna

'_I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die.' _

This was the thought shared by Sakura and Tazuna.

With Sasuke

Sasuke was forced to use every trick in his book to continue avoiding the Demon Brothers' coordinated assaults.

As Sasuke avoided the next attack from the clawed nin, he mistook the distance the second brother was from him and received a shallow cut on his shoulder. This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the poison he could already feel messing with his nervous system.

"**Water Release: Gunshot Jutsu**"

Sasuke didn't get the chance to come up with a plan because he was forced to dodge the incoming water bullets.

Having dodged in the direction away from both brothers gave him some breathing room.

"**Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Jutsu**"

Sasuke spits out three fireballs at each brother, they both dodge the first two but the younger brother is unable to dodge the last one, it hits it's his leg, causing him to scream out as the small fireball burns through his flesh.

Seeing the mist nin's state, Sasuke knows he needs to take advantage of it. Whipping out a kunai and throwing it as hard as he can, he impales the brother in the neck.

Sasuke, in the shock of his first kill just stops and watches as the life leaves the mist nin's eyes.

'_I just killed someone…' _

His slightly worried thoughts change quicker than most.

'_You see that Itachi, that will be you one day.'_

His musings caused him to let his guard down. That led to his current predicament. He received a foot to the face by an angry older brother.

As he was able to right himself, he saw a kunai flying through the air and to him it looked like everything began slowing down, from the waves in the water to the kunai aiming to impale his head.

For some reason, Sasuke could tell that the mist nin was about to jump to the right, so taking into account for it. While in midair, Sasuke rolled just enough to avoid the incoming kunai and grabbed it, before tossing it at the Mist nin who was in the middle of a jump, and unable to dodge.

Not being ready for the Genin to dodge what he was sure was a sure kill, he wasn't able to do more than watch as the kunai entered his chest and into his heart.

The last thing he saw before dieing was the cold red and black eyes of the Sharingan.

Sasuke, having used up most of his chakra fighting off the two mist nin, promptly passed out from chakra exhaustion.

With Naruto and Haku

Haku's breathing has become very labored, to the point of panting. Her lungs being forced to sort through chakra enhanced mist. Not to mention her mirror Jutsu requiring a lot of chakra as well.

Normally she is good for about forty minutes, however, it has only been fifteen and she felt as though she was about to pass out from chakra exhaustion.

Being forced to dodge constant high level Ninjutsu doesn't help.

Naruto stood in the center of the mirrors. Several senbon sticking out of his arms and back. He is beginning to look something like a pincushion.

Unfortunately, many of the needles were making moving his upper body difficult.

Seeing Naruto's weakened state, Haku gets a tear in her eye.

"Zabuza-sama always told me, to use anything but this for my first kill, would be an insult. I just wish it hadn't been you. I believe we could have been friends."

Drawing up the sleeve to her kimono, she revealed a small tattoo. It was kanji of something, but from the distance he was unable to read it.

No smoke, no flash, nothing, suddenly in Haku's hand was a long, thin sword… It only took him an instant to recognize it.

"T-that's Nuibari, one of the seven…But…But…That was lost…"

"Zabuza-sama _liberated _Nuibari from Kusa, who was responsible for the death of Kushimaru. At first he was reluctant to allow me to keep it out of fear of my losing it, but he said it fit my style to well. I'm sorry you will be the first to be pierced."

Now Naruto was shocked. He couldn't stop himself from smiling tiredly.

"Now things get fun."

"This ends now! I mustn't fail Zabuza-sama."

Haku puts all her strength into attacking.

'_I am almost out of chakra, if this fails than I lose. I will not fail Zabuza-sama!'_

She moves at speeds so great that Naruto can barely even see a blur. Instinctively, he raises his zanbatou to block the incoming sword strike.

With her last burst of strength, she stabbed the strange sword at Naruto. The next two seconds are two seconds of his life he will forever remember.

CLING CLING CLING

The force of the ice wielder's thrust sent Naruto to his back, however, that was not what shocked him, in his hand was the hilt to his sword, with only a jagged inch of blade attached.

'_Her sword stabbed right through it! How?'_

A broken sword was not all he received, just above where his heart was, a small, wire sat, unmoving. Blood ran freely, using the wire as a guide.

'_So, this is it, this is how I die.'_

However, fate it seemed decided to intervene.

Just like that, the once unbreakable mirrors that surrounded the two exhausted nin began to crack before shattering and returning to their original form of water.

Naruto's mist had already begun to clear up. He saw that Haku was fighting with unconsciousness and barely winning.

Just as he was about to speak, everyone still conscious on the bridge heard what sounded like birds chirping.

With Yamato

After killing several clones, it became much easier for Yamato, he was able to defend and was even killing some of the clones before they were able to retreat into the mist. He noticed the real Zabuza must be fighting Kakashi if the sounds of the battle were anything to go by.

With Kakashi

After Kakashi had quickly destroyed the clones, he was attacked by the real Zabuza. If it wasn't for his transplanted eye, he would have died at the beginning of the battle.

Kakashi wouldn't admit it, but the only reason he was even alive was because Zabuza hadn't fully healed yet. He could still see the small amount lightning chakra in his system. This would mess up his chakra control, and reaction time.

Dodging another swing from the giant zanbatou and Kakashi was beginning to realize how much chakra he had wasted so far. He was running on empty.

Kakashi was able to come up with a plan.

"**Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Jutsu**"

A cloud of smoke was the only warning for Zabuza when several dogs latched onto him, one on each arm and leg and a large bulldog on his shoulder.

He ran through the hand seals for his only original Jutsu.

"Now, I will show you what I can do when I don't copy my Jutsu, this is the only Jutsu I ever made. Looks like this is the end for you Zabuza."

"**Lighting Release: Chidori**"

With Naruto and Haku

When Haku looked up to see the source of the very loud noise, she saw her master, held down with several dogs. That was not what worried her, she had seen her master in worse positions.

What worried her was the Konoha Jonin charging up an insane amount of lightning chakra in his hand. So much in fact that it was visible.

'_I must save Zabuza-sama.'_

Using chakra she didn't have, she began sprinting towards her master.

She never even noticed that her tired and bleeding enemy had dangerously removed the wire and was running about six feet behind her, and slowly gaining.

With Zabuza

'_So, this is how I die? Take care of Haku-chan gakI.'_

Expecting one set of footsteps, Zabuza raised his head when he heard at least three. He saw Kakashi charging at him to kill him. However what he saw next scared him.

Haku was charging with a determined and resolute expression on her face, Nuibari in hand. She was about to die to save him. At that moment Zabuza's struggling began anew. When he saw that Kakashi and Haku would both meet at the same time, he wanted to cry out in anger. Less than a second before Kakashi's Jutsu hit. Haku, Zabuza, and Kakashi all heard a shout.

"**Water Release: Water Whip Jutsu**"

Just as Haku was about to place herself between Kakashi's Jutsu and Zabuza's body a whip made of water wrapped around her waist. She wouldn't let that keep her from saving her master.

Her iron will to save Zabuza, gave her the power needed to push that little bit further and threw Nuibari, stabbing The Copy-nin in the wrist, effectively weakening the dangerous lightning Jutsu. However, Kakashi proved just why he was an Elite Jonin, pushing through the pain, the Jonin shoved his hand, slightly covered in lightning about an inch into Zabuza's stomach.

Zabuza found himself in more pain than ever before. However, he didn't care, he could see a healthy Haku staring down at him with worry and regret in her eyes.

Even through the pain, he was able to speak.

"Thank you for saving her GakI."

"I told you I would Zabuza."

This statement brought Haku from her worry. Then she figured it out. He had been acting very familiar with her, almost as though he knew her.

'_He was making sure I lived. But why?'_

Seeing the confused look on Haku's face, he decided to inform her.

"Four days ago, he came to me and asked that I make sure you- "

Naruto was interrupted by clapping.

When the conscious ninja all turned, they saw what must have been a hundred thugs and bandits surrounding a short man in a suit holding a cane.

"I would like to thank you Konoha nin for taking care of Zabuza for me. Too bad you won't live to long."

Zabuza in his weakened state could only lie there, seething in anger.

"I never had any intention of paying the so call 'demon of the bloody mist' it's more like 'kitten of the bloody mist'. Kill all the nin. I'm sure the Konoha nin have bounties I can collect also."

Haku, hearing what the short, fat businessman said just turned to the Konoha nin.

"We are no longer enemies. This will hurt and I apologize."

Without another word, the black haired Kunoichi ripped Nuibari from the Konoha Jonin's hand, causing Kakashi to cry out.

Legendary sword in hand, Haku glared towards her new enemies.

"You will not survive this Gato."

She charged at the thugs with the resolve to kill. Something she had never had before. She was ready to kill every thug, she would then take Gato's head to Zabuza.

Even with all the adrenalin in the world, it still didn't make up for the fact that not five minutes ago, she had fought the hardest fight of her life.

She had made at least a dozen bundles of bandits when her exhaustion began to catch up to her.

She noticed a thug shoot an arrow aimed right at her heart. Normally a civilian shot arrow wouldn't be any trouble to dodge but her vision had begun to blur and her body wasn't responding.

Just as the arrow is going to end her life, she hears a noise that returns some of her energy.

"PING"

There in front of her is her once enemy and now apparent ally. That is not what shocked her the most though.

In his hands is Kubikiribocho. Zabuza's sword.

"I think Zabuza deserves to see Gato's head."

Naruto couldn't help but feel empowered by the sword in his hands.

Naruto had wasted no time at all when Zabuza told him to take it and saver her, now the blade seemed to be vibrating. It seemed incredibly happy.

It seemed that just being in his presence brought her strength. The two began a deadly dance, both covering the other's blind spots.

Gato watched as two teens destroyed his army in completely opposite ways, one with grace, finesse and effectiveness, the other with raw, uninhibited power.

By the time that the last thug was dealt with, Gato was looking at them with fear. Seeing the beautiful, bloody, and deadly dance, he was literally scared shitless.

"Please I'll give you anything you want, just don't hurt me.

Please."

If one were to look at either Haku or Naruto at the moment, it would be like looking into the eyes of demons. Both faces not showing a hint of remorse for the acts committed, blood covering their bodies, swords poised to take one more life.

Without a second thought, they both drew their swords back, Kubikiribocho removing the head while Nuibari, pierced every vital organ in the man's torso faster than even Naruto could see.

With their deed done, they allowed their exhaustion to catch up to them and passed out, not even noticing the crowed of townsfolk who just watched the massacre.

None of the others on the bridge are sure what to think. Several emotions go through their heads. Fear, disgust, even remorse. However, the strongest of all is elation that Gato is dead.

Slowly, one by one, the villagers begin to clap and cheer for the ones who freed them from Gato's rule.

It was two days later and Naruto was just waking up, his body still wanting to sleep, he just kept his eyes closed in hope of returning to dreamland.

However, his sensitive ears barely pick up a noise next to him.

'_That almost sounds like someone crying.'_

Naruto opens his eyes and quickly forces them closed. Even with a giant Nine-Tailed Chakra Battery in his gut, he still got chakra exhaustion, and it still sucked.

His head was throbbing, he was burning up, and he felt as if he hadn't eaten in a month, but he was still going to vomit.

Just as he was about to force himself back to sleep, in hopes of sleeping through the worst of it, that noise was back.

'_It sounds like a girl, and she sounds hurt…'_

Naruto managed to force his eyes open, and slowly, his vision went from triple, back to regular.

That was when he saw her, and that was when it all came back to him.

'_I-I killed them all, I didn't even care…I truly am a demon…'_

Naruto wiped his tears away when he heard Haku let out a sob that shook her body.

Slowly, he reached his hand out, and shook her shoulder gently. At first nothing happened, and then he shook her harder and her eyes flew open and she attempted to hit him before she broke out in a fit of coughs…

Naruto just awkwardly rubbed her back.

The second she locked eyes with him, it all came back, the slaughter, the limbs, the blood. It scarred her.

However, what she noticed most, was that the young man in front of her seemed to be feeling the same pain, she could see it in his eyes…

Without delay, she latched onto his shirt and started crying her eyes out. He wasn't able to understand most of her words, they seemed to all say the same thing, 'I'm sorry' and 'I'm such a monster'.

After whispering encouraging words in her ear for nearly an hour, they both fall asleep in each others arms. Naruto never noticed that his shoulder wasn't the only one that was wet. Neither dreamed or thought of their deed all night.

The next morning, Naruto woke up after the best sleep he had ever gotten. Taking a deep breath through his nose, his sense of smell was assaulted with what had to be the most intoxicating thing he had ever smelled.

'_It almost smells like crisp, clean water…no, like winter, the first day it snows. Hmmm.'_

Naruto can't help but sigh in content as he snuggles deeper into his delicious smelling pillow.

Naruto was surprised, no bewildered when his 'pillow' gave off a content moan when he snuggled deeper into it.

'_Do pillows make noise? Last time I checked they didn't. What happened yesterday…'_

In a flash, the night before went through his head.

Naruto did everything he could to control his erratic heartbeat.

'_I can see it now, twelve year old ninja dies by heart attack during first encounter with the opposite sex…It sounds better then twelve year old Genin killed by Demon of the Hidden Mist for spooning with his daughter…'_

The thought that he was in fact spooning with Haku made his face redder and his heart even more out of control.

When Naruto opened his eyes for the first time, all he could see was black. Haku's hair was released from the bun and was spread all over him. He couldn't stop himself from inhaling the intoxicating scent one more time before removing himself from the bed as silently as he could.

Naruto was awful proud that he was able to get out of bed without waking her.

His moment of glory ended as he put on new pair of pants and heard a long yawn accompanied by the shifting of the bed.

When he looked over, his normal colored face went straight passed pink and hit tomato red. He was sure that Hinata would be proud.

Haku sat up, letting out a long, loud yawn as she stretched out her stiff muscles. However, that wasn't what caught his eye. She sat there in nothing but her chest bindings and a pair of _very _short shorts.

The perverted thoughts going through his head would have done a certain white haired sage proud.

Without even realizing what he was doing, Naruto shoved the shirt he was about to put on into her hands.

That was when Haku noticed she wasn't alone. But standing in her room was the blonde boy from the night before. He had his eyes firmly shut but she was sure she kept seeing one open.

Looking at the shirt in her hands, she was confused until a cool breeze told her all she needed to know. With a red face, she quickly put the shirt on.

"You can open your eyes now."

What Naruto opened his eyes to, what was easily the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Haku stood in front of him, her hair all a mess, a sleepy smile on her face, and wearing nothing but his shirt and her underwear…

This was easily 100x better than anything he had seen when he stole Sarutobi-sensei's Icha Icha.

Naruto broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Umm, sorry about last night."

Haku just shook it off.

"Don't be, after the…_battle, _I was feeling very unsure of myself. In all the years I traveled with Zabuza-sama, I never once had to kill, I was always able to knock out my opponent…It was quite the mental shock."

Naruto nodded in understanding. Naruto was about to speak when the door was opened.

"So, you're both awake."

Naruto looked at Zabuza with a slight amount of fear, praying the man didn't kill him.

Seeing the fear in the blonde's eyes, Zabuza snorted.

"Tch. You two should eat something, it will help with the nausea."

Without another word, the tall, muscled swordsman left the room.

Both teens were blushing up a storm as they got dressed, Naruto grabbing a pair of his pants for Haku since she didn't have any that weren't covered in blood.

He got a meek 'thanks' in return.

"So, Haku, w-what do you uh, want to you know, eat?"

Haku had a light blush on her cheeks. Even if it was just because they both needed food to heal, it still sort of felt like a date. Something she had always been interested in, but never experienced.

"Um, I-some zaru soba sounds good, it is rather warm today."

A confused expression overcame Naruto's face.

"Zaru soba?"

Haku gave a gentle nod.

"Yeah, it is a cold noodle dish, it's great for a warm day."

With nod, the two headed out, in search of a soba stand.

The two had been awkwardly walking for ten minutes when Haku spoke up.

"Sorry about your sword."

A slight grin made it's way onto Naruto's face.

"Are you kidding? My sword got broken by _the _Nuibari. I don't think there is a more honorable way for a sword to go."

A giggle left Haku's lips.

Just like that, the tension was broken. The two spent the day getting to know each other better. They shared everything. Haku told Naruto about her father's betrayal and how she was found by Zabuza and Naruto told Haku how he was the village pariah, how he had been a complete dipshit until that fateful day three years ago. He also told her that he had people he truly cared for in the Hokage and Iruka.

After eating, the two found themselves walking around the reborn town, just talking and killing time.

Soon, the two found themselves at the beach, the two sat down and talked for a few more hours until the sun began to set.

The next morning found Naruto and Haku getting a rather rude awakening. The two had fallen asleep on the beach and the cool night air had them both searching for warmth, warmth they found in the arm of the other.

"**Water Release: Wild Water Wave Justu!"**

A surge of water literally picked the two up before dropping them.

In an impressive display, Haku recovered before hitting the ground and landed in a crouch, prepared for battle. Naruto wasn't quite so graceful and landed in a heap. However, a kunai was already in his hand.

"You two may be strong, but you still have a lot of work to do!"

Naruto and Haku looked over, only to see Zabuza standing in front of the rising sun, the orange light giving the man a demonic glow.

The two teens could only look to the other and gulp.

For the rest of Naruto's time in Wave, Haku and Naruto had spent nearly all of their time together, mostly training and trying different techniques but occasionally just sitting by the water and watching the sunset, or going out to eat.

Both were surprised by the tenacity that Zabuza's training held. He allowed them very few breaks and he was being especially brutal to Naruto.

Even through the brutality, Naruto was able to see the care in Zabuza's eyes every time he looked at Haku. It was rather depressing to know that he would probably never see the two after this mission. That became apparent when Naruto popped the question…

"Haku, why don't you and Zabuza come to Konoha?"

Haku gripped Naruto's hand tighter.

"I wish we could, but me and Zabuza-sama are missing-nin, just being in Konoha and not being arrested could lead to war."

Naruto already knew that, but he had to try. He settled for wrapping an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his chest.

One week later and the Konoha nin are at the end of the bridge, preparing to leave.

The villagers were there, along with Haku and Zabuza, Haku still has several bandages along her arms and stomach from where the thugs and Naruto had gotten shallow cuts on her, and Zabuza who had his whole torso wrapped up. They decided to stay in the village and rest before moving on.

Haku, who was slightly blushing, stepped foreword.

"Goodbye Naruto-kun. I'm going to miss you."

With god-like speed, her face moved in and out so quick Naruto was left speechless. It didn't take long for Haku to run away from the bridge with a big smile and blush on her face.

Naruto just stood there dumbstruck. His face gradually getting redder. As his hand hesitantly went to his lips.

'_She kissed me?'_

"Goodbye everyone!"

"Hey GakI, before you go, Here."

To the shock of all the Konoha nin and even more so, Naruto. Zabuza pulled Kubikiribocho from his back and stabbed it into the ground before turning around to walk away.

"She chose you…"

With that, he walked away. Never looking back to see the dumbstruck face of one Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto, tentatively reached for the blade of legends. Said to be one of the sharpest swords in the world, second only to the Kiba, able regrow and resharpen by absorbing the iron from the blood of those it slays.

He can't help but marvel at the craftsmanship. The second his hand wrapped around the hilt, he couldn't help but notice that the blade seemed to shiver in anticipation.

Unfortunately the moment was ruined by his teammate.

"Lets go blondie, this place bores me."

Secretly, Sasuke is seething.

'_How is he so strong?!'_

Naruto just follows behind his team. Muttering about stuck-up Uchiha's with sticks in their asses.

The trip back to Konoha was much faster than the trip to Wave. With no civilians to slow them down, the ninja could tree hop.

It only took them eight hours to return home.

However, back in Konoha, those eight hours were rather interesting for an old Kage.

Hokage's office

Sarutobi watched as a women he had come to learn of as fiery and determined. In fact she reminded him of a flirty Kushina. However, now she appeared to have become dead inside.

In the kindest tone he could, Sarutobi decided to get to the bottom of her issue.

"Have you come to a decision?"

Her blank stare unnerved him slightly.

"Yes, I will wed Naruto, in order to form the alliance."

"You seem to have problems with the arrangement, would you like to talk about it…"

"no…"

"Ok then. He should be finishing with his mission and returning…"

"I still love him…"

Smiling internally at his victory.

"Love who? My dear."

"He was my fiancé but he just had to try and do everything by himself. Him and the other Swordsmen were the first to learn of the purges. Yagura wanted their backing. If he had them backing him then the rest of Kiri would have no problem believing it was truly for the best. Believe it or not, the Seven Swordsmen hold more sway with the people than the Mizukage."

Tears slowly fell from her eyes.

"He never even told me in person… I found a note by my bed the next morning. He knew that if he told me in person, I would have joined him. We probably would have either won, or died together… The note told me everything, how Yagura had wanted to exterminate everyone with a bloodline and how if things went according to plan, then he would be the new Mizukage…It didn't take long for his once respected and feared name to be dragged through the mud."

"Who was it?"

Her tear streamed face looked into the comforting eyes of Sarutobi.

"Zabuza…Zabuza Momochi, the second seat in the Seven Swordsmen."

With Team 7

As soon as the three Genin and two Jonin landed in front of the check-in station, the guards immediately took note that Naruto was there.

"We were told to tell your team that Naruto Uzumaki is needed immediately by the (Recognizes sword, eyes go wide)…Hokage…and…the…others…will…report…first… thing…tomorrow. "

Acting like he didn't notice the shock on both Chunin's faces, Naruto just goes on.

"Thanks Izumo. Have fun with guard duty."

The Chunin was still to shocked to say anything to the barb.

When Naruto arrived at the tower, he was expecting a lot of things. Maybe Yamato had sent word that he had Zabuza's sword and Sarutobi-sensei wanted to warn him about keeping it out in the open, maybe he wanted to make sure he was doing ok after what happened on the bridge, or he could just want to congratulate him on his first real mission.

However, the following meeting never crossed his mind as a possibility.

"Naruto-kun, I would like to introduce you to Mei Terumi."

"Nice to meet you Mei-san"

"Allow me to finish Naruto-kun, this is Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage."

Naruto's eyes went wide. _'Mizukage? Does she was Zabuza's sword back? Or maybe she wants me to lead her to him so she can send hunter-nin teams after him.'_

It was at this moment that Mei noticed the sword on his back. One that only three people have wielded since it's creation, and one had been dead for nearly fifty years.

Seeing the sword wielded by the man she loved and has not seen in almost ten years was a shock to her system.

'_He must have died.'_

The thought of this _genin _carrying her lover's sword around like a trophy infuriated her.

Alliance or not, she charged and the unprepared genin.

"I'LL KILL YOU! HOW DARE YOU!?"

All the while tears falling for her 'dead' lover.

As soon as he noticed the sword, Sarutobi was expecting something like this.

However, much to Mei's shock, young Naruto blocked the attack with the flat side of the blade, the same manner that Zabuza would. However, instead of making her angrier, it made her even more saddened at the thought of never seeing him again.

Without delay, the Mizukage, turned and ran, leaping from the window in an attempt to escape the pain. Landing on a nearby rooftop. She sprinted to the forest.

Naruto, still holding his new sword in a defensive position, was confused.

"What the HELL was that old man? Why did the Mizukage just try and kill me?"

Sarutobi sighed.

"Well, at one point in time, Zabuza was her fiancé. I believe you practically confirming his death by having his sword was to painful."

"Zabuza's not dead."

Old Sarutobi's eyes went wide.

"But, you have his sword."

Cocking his head to the side in a confused manner, Naruto replied.

"I have no idea what that was about…Long story short, Zabuza was against us on this mission and he was injured with my sword being destroyed. I used his sword when we teamed up... When we left, all he said was 'She chose you' I tried to get an answer but he was already gone."

Sarutobi smiled bright once more.

"Well, then. You should go tell her so that an international incident isn't started."

"Ya, but she will probably try to kill me again."

The Hokage shrugged.

"Probably, but I would open the conversation with 'Zabuza isn't dead.' call me a foolish old man, but I wouldn't want to be on her bad side."

"Ya…wish me luck"

Taking a deep breath, Naruto went the same direction out the window.

"Good luck Naruto…Your going to need it."

It didn't take long for Naruto to track down the emotionally drained Mei.

Taking a deep breath he was about to enter the clearing. However, he was interrupted.

"Leave!"

"But…"

"I said LEAVE!"

"Zabuza is alive."

"If you don't…wait a minute, alive?"

Seeing hope and happiness in her only visible but still stunning jade eye, put a smile on his face.

"Ya, he won't be doing any cardio any time soon but he's alive."

"Where is he?"

At first he wasn't going to tell her, seeing as the man is still wanted…

"Why should I? You would probably just have him executed for trying the kill the fourth."

He was not ready for her to move as fast as she could and grab him by the shirt.

Nor was he ready for what she said next.

"If you don't tell me where my fiancé is…"

She continued on with her threat, but Naruto was to shocked to listen.

"…and then I'll…"

"Fiancé?"

"Yes, fiancé. Now, where is he?"

Naruto closed his eyes.

'_She seemed genuinely happy about him being alive…'_

Naruto looked down in thought.

"I will agree, however... I want it added as a term of the alliance that he will not be attacked without provocation."

"Agreed, now where is he?!"

"Wave, he was in Wave when we left."

Before he knew what was happening, he found himself on the ground and no sign of the Mizukage.

Six days later and Naruto was still a wreck, not to mention he learned that he was being offered to Kiri for marriage. After he learned of that, needless to say, he avoided the Kiri party, especially the Mizukage who returned four days ago.

Naruto, while being shocked he is going to be married, the fact that he is being given an arranged marriage doesn't surprise him.

'_Life of a Jinchuuriki I guess, always a sacrifice.' _

The biggest point of sorrow what the he will be married and if the rumors of Zabuza being given a full-pardon are true… He would have to face Haku-chan on a daily basis.

Suddenly, knocking on his door brought him out of his thoughts. The second he opened it, he wished he didn't.

Standing outside his apartment was Mei Terumi, the fifth Mizukage.

Much to his shock, the second she saw him, she gave him the tightest hug he had ever received.

"Thank you. The man I love is in my arms again and it's all thanks to you."

Though still slightly down about it, Naruto was able to joke about his situation.

"Just remember it when you're _my _Mizukage."

Mei just gave one of her charming smiles.

"I'll be sure to. I hope you will find the situation to your liking, it will be different in Kiri, but I hope you will find a home there."

"I hope so, but I just don't know."

Giving the soon to be, Kiri nin an understanding nod, she continued.

"Well, as soon as you're ready we can leave but tomorrow morning is the latest."

Naruto got into a thinking pose.

"How's one hour?…'Thinking of Iruka and the Team Gai'. You know what, make it two."

"You'll be ready that soon? 'Naruto nods' That can work, meet me at the North gate in two hours and we will leave."

Just as Naruto was about to head out, he stopped.

"So, why me? Is it the furball, my dad or my mom?"

"A little bit of all of them. Although, your father is a secret that only I'm aware of. Not even Kiri's councilmen have been told."

Naruto nodded before jumping off to go say goodbye to his few precious people.

Naruto burst through the door he knew Iruka was behind.

"Iruka-sensei, come on we need to talk."

"Naruto, can't you see I'm teaching?"

"Ya, ya, this is serious. I need to talk to you."

"Naruto, it can wait until lunch."

Naruto surprised everyone in the class when his playful face left, in it's place was that of a seasoned shinobi.

"Iruka-sensei, we really need to talk."

Taken aback by the expression he rarely seen on his students face, Iruka nodded.

"Ok class, it's your lucky day, be back after lunch, that's two hours."

The students cheered before running off.

With Iruka following, Naruto led the way to training ground 9 where Team Gai usually train.

However, when they got there the training ground was empty.

"Naruto, Team Gai got sent on their first B-rank mission. They will be gone for a few months. What is so important that it couldn't wait."

"Iruka-sensei…I'm leaving Konoha."

Iruka, not knowing about the arrangement thought he was abandoning Konoha.

"WHAT? HOW COULD YOU?"

Realizing what was going on in his sensei's mind, Naruto just chuckled.

"The Hokage is sending me to Kiri as a part of a new alliance. I'm getting married."

Iruka's jaw dropped before a smile overtook his face.

"So, finally get to leave without abandoning Konoha. Congratulations, I know you tried to love this village but to many people have wronged you."

"Yea, but I am really going to miss you."

Naruto and Iruka spent the next 45 minutes talking about the past and the future when Naruto told him he had to pack all his stuff and write a few letters for Team Gai so they knew what happened.

"I'll drop them off with you, can you give them to them?"

"Sure thing Naruto, good luck."

Naruto smiled before leaping off.

"I hope I see you again Naruto."

A single tear slid down Iruka's cheek.

*Front Gate*

The Sandaime and Iruka were seeing off Naruto and the Mizukage. Iruka had to wipe away a bit of blood from his nose when he saw the Mizukage.

Nobody could be sure, but Naruto is pretty sure he heard a 'lucky bastard' from Iruka.

With that, the Mizukage, a future Kiri ninja, Ao and Chojuro left Konoha.

**That's it. I know. I think I'm moving a bit fast…Let me know what you all think. Please review. **


	5. Kiri's Newest Couple

**I don't own Naruto**

**I personally have always liked Kiri Naruto. However, I wanted to read one, where he didn't go missing-nin. I just have trouble seeing Naruto doing that. He is just to loyal and determined. Since I couldn't find one that met my criteria I just decided to write my own. That and there aren't enough stories with Zabuza. **

**I'm not a big fan of writing romance, that is why I left it out of the genre. But, I figure I can give it the old college try.**

**Here is my next chapter…**

Chapter 5

Kiri's Newest Ninja

"I can't do this. I _can't _do this."

Zabuza just watched the newest Kiri nin pace back and forth in his dressing room.

"Calm down GakI. You'll be fine."

The 'Gaki' just turned and glared at the swordsman.

"Fine? FINE? I'm marrying a girl I have never even met. How will I be fine? Not to mention, I haven't seen Haku-chan since arriving, she really liked me and I really liked her. She is probably devastated and I haven't even seen her."

'_Especially sense I heard it was supposed to be the Mizukage. How would that work? He loves her, she love him, and I love his daughter, all the while being married to her. Oh god my head hurts.'_

Zabuza was forced to fight back a smirk.

'_She is doing better than you think.'_

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

"Naruto-san, they are ready for you."

Taking a shaky breath, Naruto nodded and slowly made his way to the alter. He never even noticed that as Zabuza walked away he let his smirk show.

Naruto walks down the isle with as much authority as he could, however, that wasn't much since his hands were sweaty, his left eye twitching, not to mention he was as pale as a ghost.

As he walked, he noticed members of Kiri's shinobi and civilian council were all present and in the first few rows. All the Jonin and elite ninja were behind them. Anyone else who wanted to go was behind them.

He arrived at the alter and removed Kubikiribocho from his back, he embedded his giant sword into the wood behind the platform, with a loud bang, just as he was told. Apparently, it was a tradition of the seven.

The wedding was supposed to start ten minutes ago and everyone was getting angsty.

There was a lot riding on this wedding, without it, Kiri would be vulnerable to attack. They were still weakened by the civil war and still recovering. Should one of the great five attack, they would be beaten quickly, Hell, as it sits, they would be hard-pressed to combat a well-prepared minor village.

However, everyone would think twice about attacking them if they were allied with Konoha and by extension, Suna.

Suddenly, the Honorable Elder of Kiri appeared and walked down the Isle. He walked with grace that belied his age. He was an elderly man, nearing his eighties. He had fought along side the Nindaime and Sandaime Mizukage, as well as the Yondaime before he had enough of the needless bloodshed and betrayed the Yondaime during the bloodline wars. It was ultimately because of his information that allowed the resistance to overtake Kiri. He wore elegant ceremony robes. They were white, made of the finest silk in Kiri and lined with the bluest sapphires in all of Earth Country.

When he arrived at the podium, he addressed everyone.

"Welcome, and thank you for sharing to most joyous of moments. Here is Naruto Uzumaki, son of Kushina Uzumaki, Jinchuuriki of the Kyubbi no Yoko, wielder of Kubikiribocho and apprentice of Zabuza Momochi. Newest genin of Kiri. He has joined our village to forge a bond between two villages, stronger than any signature, stronger than any friendship. A bond of blood. And now, the bride…"

It was at this time, a young woman stepped out, at least he thought it was a young woman. He was at least sure it was in fact a woman. Her head was covered by dark, blue veil, he was unable to make out her hair color and length. Her face, too was covered by a veil.

She walked with a grace that meant she _had _to be a Kunoichi.

All the while Naruto knew he knew her from somewhere.

'_Damn, who is she. I know I know her. It is like just being around her…'_

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted when Zabuza spoke in an angry, gruff tone.

"I give this girl to be your wife, for you to care and provide for each other, and eventually love each other. She shall keep you safe and you, her."

Naruto's mind was reeling.

'_A girl is usually given away by her father… if that's true then…'_

Naruto took the girls hand and she went to stand by his side, while Zabuza took up his place as Naruto's best man.

The Elder spoke once again.

"Young Uzumaki, please remove her veil so we may be graced with her beauty…"

Naruto did as he was told. His heart was pounding, his hands shaking.

'_Could it be her?'_

Naruto slowly removed her veil, only to be met with the small smile of Haku Momochi. The closest to a girlfriend he had ever had.

Naruto's nervous and rehearsed smile, turned to the truest happy smile to ever grace his face.

Seeing the happiness of her future husband, Haku's smile turned up several notches.

With grace, Haku removed the previously unnoticed Nuibari from her back, and stabbed it right next to his own, Kubikiribocho.

Naruto just barely noticed the Mizukage in her own ceremonial robes take her place at Haku's side.

Even in his daze, he was able to pick out a bit of the Elder's speech.

"…Haku Momochi, the adoptive daughter of Zabuza and Mei Momochi…"

"…Bond these villages, and these young people…"

"…Keep each other safe…"

"…You may kiss the bride."

Naruto looked into her eyes as if asking for permission, with a subtle nod, their lips met for a second time.

While the first time was just a goodbye, I think I love you but will probably never see you again kiss. This is a, your mine now kiss.

It started slow, as if testing the water. That changed quickly when Haku's arms wrapped around Naruto's neck in an attempt to draw him closer. Accepting the slight push, Naruto's hands grabbed Haku's slender waist.

Naruto's tongue nervously came out and licked Haku's bottom lip.

Haku, unable to stifle the gasp, was quick to moan when Naruto took that as an invitation and shot his tongue into Haku's mouth and began to explore.

With the Audience

The civilian council's thoughts:

'_The trades with Konoha will do wonders for my district.'_

The shinobi council's thoughts:

'_It appears as though our alliance with Konoha shall be solid. They truly care for each other. Not to mention, we risk losing the daughter of the Mizukage while Konoha risks losing their Jinchuuriki. This will keep us both in line.'_

Mei was forced to tug the collar of her robe a little because the room was definitely heating up. Her blush only increased when Naruto moved his hand from her waist to her ass and held on firm. If her moan was anything to go on, Haku definitely didn't mind.

'_Damn that's hot, and to think that is only their first real kiss.'_

Zabuza was torn, to be happy that his new apprentice and his adoptive daughter were together, or be pissed that his daughter and a guy she barely knew, 'Even if they were married' were going at it like they were on their honeymoon.

Eventually, the protective father in him won and he was about to end it by force when they separated, a trail of saliva connecting them. They never noticed because they continued to look deep in the other's eyes.

She looked radiant, he had never seen her so happy.

Zabuza just looked skyward.

'…_Thank you Kami, I know I don't deserve the level of happiness you have given me…I was reunited with my love, my daughter seems to have found love and I am back home where I belong. I don't know what I did to gain your favor, but thank you.'_

Mei cleared her throat and got the two teen's attention. They both turned bright red when they realized what was going on.

"Seeing as this is a political marriage and Haku's clan compound was destroyed several years ago, there is a small one-bedroom guest home attached to my clan compound. You will stay there for the first eight months. After that, you are welcome to continue to rent it out or you can move. I will have an Anbu take you to your new home."

"Now, this is a first, never have two wielders of the seven been wed…"

"Together, you shall remove the blades that keep, both you, and Kiri safe."

Haku and Naruto, both placed a hand on the other's sword, before heaving it from the ground. Haku hooked the giant sword on Naruto's back, while Naruto slid the sword in the small sheath near her ass.(Where Hiei keeps it from Yu Yu Hakashu)

"I now pronounce you man and wife. Shark shall show you to your new home."

The newly weds were following a Shark Anbu when Mei called out.

"Be at the Mizukage tower at noon in two days!"

Both smiled at turned back.

"Hai Mizukage-sama."

The walk to the home was short and both were nervous…

The Anbu showed them to the house before disappearing in a swirl of water.

As they looked around they loved it. It was bare, but had a hominess to it. It had everything they needed.

Naruto was fidgeting, unable to find something to do with his hands.

He ended up sitting at the dining room table and playing with the salt shaker.

With nervousness dancing in her eyes, she walked up and sat on his lap, effectively surprising him.

She took his hand in hers and looked into his eyes.

"Look…Neither one of us really know what's going on, lets just go with it and take it slow…"

The nervousness melted from both of their eyes and happiness was present.

"Now, I…I'm not ready to…_go all the way…_ So, lets do something else together."

Naruto just nodded with a smile…

"Ok, Zabuza told me that there is a great Hot Spring here behind the tower, how about we talk over a relaxing bath…"

Even though they were married, the idea of being naked in front of the other was a pretty big step, obvious by the red that found it's way on their faces.

Haku gave a rather hesitant nod and got up from her husband's lap.

"Mei-sama said she already moved both of our clothes here… I'll grab my things…"

Naruto just watched her go, and sighed.

'_Ok, think Naruto. You've never had a girlfriend, the only girl you really know, gets off at the thought of anything sharp, and you are about to go get naked with your new wife that you have known for all of a week… And I thought I was stressed before the wedding.'_

He was broke out of his musings by Haku's voice.

"Hey Naruto, are you ready?"

Naruto looked up to see Haku standing there, with a small bag full of clothes and other things.

"Sorry, lost in thought."

Haku just smiled and nodded as he took off towards the bedroom.

Two days later

As the two couple made their way to the Mizukage tower, Both with a happy, content smile, fingers laced as they held onto the other.

They were each astonished for a different reason.

Naruto was shocked that nobody hated him. There was some fear, but it was greatly out shown by looks of respect.

'_I haven't even done anything and they respect me. This is insane, can I truly live up to their expectations.'_

'_It's so beautiful. I'm so glad I have this chance to live in a peaceful Kiri. Zabuza had always described it, but words just can't do it justice.'_

Just then a kid about eight years old jumped into an alley.

"HA FOUND YOU! SURRENDER OR DIE!"

Another kid, about the same age just stared impassively.

"A Kiri nin never surrenders."

Both, Haku and Naruto smiled as they watched the boys pull out wooden practice kunai and begin their fight.

The two never even realized they were right outside the Mizukage tower until they heard Zabuza's gruff voice.

"Fun night, huh?"

Both of their faces went bright red at what he was implying, as they walked by, not responding to Zabuza. He just followed behind them.

When they approached Mei's assistant's desk, she immediately sent them in.

When they entered, Mei was doing paperwork while Chojuro waited patiently.

"Here as requested Mizukage-sama."

Looking at the four in the office, Mei sighed.

'_This is not going to go over well.'_

"Do you know how the Seven Swordsmen got started?"

All, except for Zabuza was confused.

"No Mizukage-sama."

"You see, the seven swordsmen was an accident."

This got wide eyes from the three genin.

"Kiri, just like every other village has a system for pairing up it's genin. Usually, it is arrangements that have proven to work, and then whatever is left, gets paired. One year, right before the start of the Second Shinobi War, the pairing just happened to be three Kenjutsu users, at the time, Kenjutsu wasn't very popular in Kiri so that was quite surprising. The council was going to change the teams but the Nindaime decided against it. He merely gave the best Kenjutsu user in Kiri as their Jonin. His name was Kengou. He trained that team to the ground and during the war. They became feared by all. I mean like Konoha's Yellow Flash fear. After the Second war was over, the Nindaime was able to easily see the success of such a team. He then ordered the four to keep an eye out for special ninja that they believed to be worthy of becoming a Swordsmen of the Mist, as people had begun to call them."

All three genin were at the edge of their seats listening to the tale. Zabuza, even though he had heard the story many times before was even getting into it.

"When the group made it to seven members, they stopped recruiting. They believe that any more and quality will begin to suffer, any less and they could be overwhelmed by numbers. Those seven operated as one of the most powerful and successful shinobi forces in the elemental nations for almost six years when Kengou was severely wounded in battle. On his deathbed, Kengou presented those seven with the swords that are still used today. Nobody knows how or when he got them. Until the reign of the Yondaime Mizukage, and the group's falling into disarray, it was said, that when combined, the seven would potentially be capable of destroying a minor village on their own. The greatest group of them, the last generation was said to be able to destroy a major village…"

"Wow."

"I know, right."

"Incredible."

Mei seemed to be taking in their reactions, with a nod she steeled herself.

"I want you four to re-form the seven."

The Genin were wide-eyed.

'_I knew this was going to be a team, but re-form the seven?'_

"At this point in time, you, Zabuza are the best Kenjutsu user in Kiri. Not to mention you are the only living loyal ninja that has been trained in accordance with the rules of the Swordsmen. Your primary role will be to make sure that these three are worthy of the title. Similar to Kengou, you will not be part of the seven but you will be the mold. Kengou himself never considered himself a member of the seven and neither shall you."

He gave an unsure nod.

The genin weren't to sure either.

"Mizukage-sama, up until six days ago, I was a Konoha nin, how can I join one of Kiri's greatest organizations?"

Before the others could speak their minds, Mei glared at Naruto. Her words filled with anger and finality, she spoke directly to Naruto.

"You are a Kiri nin now. Do you understand?"

Naruto slowly nods.

"I don't care what you were yesterday, or the day before. Today, you fight for Kiri. You will bleed for Kiri. You will put you life on the line for Kiri. I think that makes you worthy."

Naruto's objections were swallowed and he nodded with determination in his eyes.

'_I'm a Kiri nin, I won't let it down.'_

It seemed as though Mei's words got to all of them, because Haku's and Chojuro's protests were silenced.

Mei took a deep breath.

"Good. Now this is the hard part. Your team will not be forming for six months."

"Why not Mizukage-sama?"

Mei smiled nervously as she mumbled something.

"What was that Mei-sama?"

Resigning herself to her fate, she took another calming breathe.

"I said, that the team won't be forming because Naruto won't be here."

Mei immediately closed her eyes.

'_There, I said it.'_

Even though her eyes were closed, Mei could feel the glare coming from her newly adoptive daughter. Slowly but surely the temperature began to decrease, to the point that everyone's breath became visible.

"And why is that _Mizukage-sama?_"

'Sigh'

"Out of all three of you, Naruto needs the most work on Kenjutsu seeing as he never had a teacher. From what I've been lead to believe his style is a bastardized version of Hiruzen Sarutobi's Bojutsu style. So, for the next six months, each of you will train separately before joining as a team. Naruto with Zabuza, mainly working on Kenjutsu. Chojuro will be working with Ao and Shark, your focus will be your chakra reserves and Ninjutsu. I will be working with you, Haku, on your bloodline. You will also be doing some training at the hospital as a medic."

Haku's anger was temporarily forgotten.

"How can you help with my bloodline?"

Mei smiled internally at the girl's lack of anger.

"I have Lava and Boil where you have Ice. I can assist you in gaining control of an advanced element since I have already done that with two. Simply speaking, I will guide you."

"But why can't he train here?"

Mei smiled evilly and Zabuza gulped while trying to sneak away.

"Ask Zabuza, he requested it."

The room temperature dropped again, this time even colder.

"Why would you do that?"

Zabuza, having seen an angry Haku before spoke quickly.

"I was worried that training would be hindered if you were together. I wanted to be sure that this team is as well prepared as possible."

Naruto managed to calm Haku down while Zabuza spoke.

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

Tears began to slowly fall from her chocolate eyes.

"Is there any other bad news or can I go spend the rest of his time here, with my husband."

"Go ahead. Naruto pack your essentials and be at the gate at dawn."

"Hai Zabuza-sensei."

Both Haku and Naruto walked out of the room, leaving Mei, Zabuza and Chojuro.

"Your dismissed too Chojuro. Ao wants you to report at Anbu headquarters at noon tomorrow."

"Hai Mizukage-sama."

Chojuro simply bowed and left.

As soon as the room was clear, Mei turned to Zabuza, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Do you have to go? It hurts her as much as it hurts me."

Zabuza walked up and whipped away a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb.

"Ya, he could be the greatest ninja Kiri ever produced and if I hinder that because I don't want to leave the bed of my lover, then I can't call myself a Kiri shinobi."

"Hai…"

"Lets follow the kid's example and make to most out of our time together."

Mei gave a sexy smile before closing her blinds and locking the door.

"I think it is time to christen this desk hmm?"

"I like the way you think."

Their last night in Kiri proved to be adventurous for both Naruto and Zabuza and both of their wives decided to try and remember as much of their man as possible, though in admittedly different ways.

The next morning, at the main gate, a sad scene could be found.

"You will be back, right?"

Naruto just tightens his grip around his wife.

"Of course. I don't know how I'll survive without you."

The two engage in a slow, loving kiss.

"Are you sure this is the only way?"

Unfortunately, Mei has a responsibility to appear strong in front of her soldiers. She doesn't have the privilege of grabbing onto her lover for dear life and letting her tears fall.

"I'm sorry."

Zabuza gives Mei, one quick kiss and hug before turning to the young couple.

"Lets go GakI, we have a long journey ahead of us…If you get strong enough for my satisfaction then we will return early."

Haku gave Naruto one more quick kiss before leaning up to his ear and whispering.

"You better get strong real quick because I'm gonna go crazy without you."

"I will, don't worry."

With their goodbyes said, Naruto and Zabuza began their journey…

36 hours! They had been running for 36 hours without a single break.

The worst part was that Zabuza still seemed fresh while Naruto was nearly out of chakra.

"How*pant* much*pant* longer?"

Zabuza just looked back with an evil smirk.

"About an hour…Then you get a taste of your real training."

Naruto gave a determined nod. Every time he thought about giving up, Haku's tear streamed face would enter his mind. He needed to get as strong as possible as fast a possible.

With determination brimming, Naruto actually picked up the pace and began to overtake Zabuza much to his shock.

That is until he formed a smirk.

"Can't wait to get home to your girl huh?"

Zabuza was shocked when he saw the fire in Naruto's eyes.

"Six months? I'll do it four."

Naruto continued to pull away until Zabuza snapped out of his shock.

"Hah, I think I'm gonna like training you GakI."

For the last hour of the run. Naruto just kept increasing his pace. He knew it was stupid, but he was going to get stronger.

When Naruto saw that they were approaching a beach, he was sure they were done.

Slowly, Naruto decreased his pace. However, he was shocked when Zabuza kept right on going, straight over the water.

Sighing tiredly, Naruto picked up his pace again and ran after him.

Thirty minutes of water running, and Naruto is about ready to pass out.

However, Zabuza just increased his pace. Naruto noticed, he seemed to running right for a cloud of fog. Unsure of what was going on, Naruto followed the man closely.

No more than thirty seconds into the mist did Naruto find himself on land. He instantly dropped to a knee, unable to stand.

"Wha-"

Naruto relized that this mist was even thicker than his _Choking Fog. _

Zabuza was able to easily sense the boy's question.

"This, GakI, is known as the Island of Fog. Every time there is a prospective member of the Seven, an existing member must bring them here and they must live for however long the man dictates, living by only sound. This island holds this mist, no level of wind jutsu can dispel it for more than a second. Now, our training begins!"

Naruto attempted to stand several times, but his legs just kept giving out.

'_Lets see how good his stamina truly is.'_

"I thought you were going to be home to see Haku-chan in four months. If that's the best you can do, we might as well stop now because I'm not wasting my time."

Zabuza _watched_ as he pulled Kubikiribocho off his back and stabbed it into the ground.

'_Damn it! Stand. I will succeed. I will see my beloved soon. I. WILL. NOT. FAIL!'_

Naruto barely made it to his feet by climbing his sword.

"What's next?"

"Come at me with everything you have. All shinobi arts."

Nodding tiredly, yet determinedly, gripping Kubikiribocho tighter, Naruto charged. It was sloppy but quick.

Naruto's downward slash was easily knocked away.

"You will have to do better."

Naruto continued to attempt to overtake him with Kenjutsu but couldn't.

'_My muscles are to sore to wield my sword, I don't have the chakra for Ninjutsu, I don't know any Genjutsu…I'm gonna have to use Ninjutsu. I'll just stick with one that don't require much chakra.'_

In his tiredness, Naruto's hand seal speed was pathetic.

"**Water Release: Gunshot**"

Zabuza didn't even have to bother dodging the water bullets since they missed by over 10 feet. However, as soon as he was done, he heard a light thump. Naruto was passed out in the sand.

"About time, his stamina is ok… so, chakra control, hand seal speed, and Kenjutsu… that's about it. I also need to get him to the point of even on the verge of death, his hearing will act as his sight."

Zabuza spent the next twenty minutes setting up the camp they will remain at for as long as they needed.

When he was finished, he decided to go get some sleep as well.

Back in Kiri

"DAMN YOU ZABUZA!"

Haku continues to lay on her bed, unable to sleep. Her sheets and pillows are all over the floor from tossing and turning.

"We've only slept in the same bed four times and already I can't sleep without him…how pathetic am I?"

Knock Knock Knock

"Who the hell could that be? It's like two in the morning."

Haku gets out of bed, makes sure she is decent and opens the door.

"Mizukage-sama? Is something the matter?"

Mei attempts a disarming smile but it comes out as more of a tired grimace.

"No, just can't sleep… Haven't been able to since they left…you know?"

Haku nods understandingly.

"Come in, do you want some tea or anything."

"Sure that would be nice."

So Mei takes a seat at their small table while Haku goes and makes some tea.

"I like what you've done with the place…I figured you and Naruto wouldn't have gotten anything done…Well except each other."

Mei giggled when Haku's face turned red.

Haku turned and mumbled something.

"What was that?"

"I did this last night when I couldn't sleep…I just can't stop wishing for his arms to be around me…For me to be able to rest my head on his chest and have his heart lull me to sleep."

Mei's giggling stopped at Haku's confession.

"I know what you mean. I went years without him, but now that he is back… I want him at my side at all times."

"Mizu…"

Haku was interrupted by Mei.

Mei gave Haku her charming smile.

"When we are alone like this…Just Mei."

"Hai, Mei…Zabuza never told me how you two met…"

Mei gave a far away smile.

"I doubt he would, He was never one to share more than he had to. My family used to be nobles here in Kiri. They had strict rules about not being able to start training until being 10 years old… So, I was way behind my classmates. Zabuza had just done his deed. He was almost instantly accepted into the Seven Swordsmen. Well, I approached him one day after class to ask for training…He laughed at me, I got so mad I was about to spit a lava ball in his face before I calmed down and walked away. He was an orphan, needless to say he didn't like that I had a better childhood then him. Then he said it… 'Gonna go cry to mommy and get the council to make me? Good luck I'm a member of the Seven Swordsmen. Only the Mizukage can order me to do something.' The worst part was that he was right… I had every intention of having my family make him train me…At that point I followed him around. As soon as I got out of school I would follow him, do all the same training, everything. Eventually, I impressed him...The rest is history."

"That sounds like Zabuza."

The two spent all night, sitting on the couch talking until they both eventually passed out, feeling slightly better than when they were alone.

With Zabuza

"Wake up GakI!"

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked around, only he saw nothing but mist.

"Uhhh… Where am I?"

"Heh, remember, we ran from Kiri to an island where I ordered you to attack me."

A light went off in Naruto's head.

"Oh yea, I remember attacking you but that's it."

Zabuza just shook his head.

"You passed out in the middle of performing a Ninjutsu…"

"Oh, so…I guess I have a lot of work to do?"

"Yea you do…your stamina is good for a high Chunin or low Jonin. What we need to work on, is your Chakra Control, Kenjutsu skill, and hand seal speed. Outside of that, we may spend some time working on strength and speed."

Naruto nodded with determination in his eyes.

"When do we…Hey what's that?"

Following the blonde's eyes, Zabuza gave his normal smirk and grabbed the handle sticking over his shoulder. He easily hefted the zanbatou over his head. It was about the same length and width as Kubikiribocho but was straight, with a 45 degree angle as a point.(Buster Sword)

"This…Is the sword I used before Sensei died and I held onto Kubi…She never chose me, merely allowed me to use a small portion of her power until her next true wielder was found…You."

"Now. No more questions. Go stand in the surf, I want you to use your chakra to hold you still as waves pass. At the same time, I have 6 clones on the shore, you are to kill them with thrown weapons. I'll cook breakfast, you can eat in thirty minutes."

"Hai, Zabuza-sensei."

Zabuza cooks some fish he caught, all the while watching Naruto.

Zabuza chuckled when he heard a particularly large wave followed by a short yell and a splash.

'_His chakra control is good for the amount he has, but he wasted to much when we were running, he should be able to run for days without getting tired.'_

Thirty minutes later and Zabuza is finished with breakfast.

Zabuza _watched _as three shuriken flew from Naruto and dispersed his last clone.

"Hey GakI, come eat so we can start your real training."

"Hai, Zabuza-sensei."

The two ate quickly, not even attempting to make conversation.

"The first thing you will do is, I want you to be able to go through the hand seals for **Water Release: Gunshot Jutsu **before I can reach you from seven feet away, seven hand seals seven feet, ready _begin_."

Zabuza instantly began charging but Naruto hesitated on performing the Jutsu. That earned him a hard punch to the stomach that knocked the air out of him.

"If you hesitate, you die…"

For six hours, the two performed the same routine, Naruto attempting to finish his Jutsu and Zabuza attempting to hit him. Towards the end, Naruto was finally able to do it.

"Ok, now I want you to get in position exactly how I do, I will correct anything you do wrong."

Naruto nods and drops into his position, it is a wide stance with his sword sticking straight out to his side.

"Not bad, shift your front foot…"

For four months that is exactly how things progressed, and not that Zabuza would admit it, but he was proud of the kid, he was improving by leaps and bounds. He had learned his personal Kenjutsu style, even began working on his own twist to it. His hand seal speed was off the charts and his chakra control was slightly better.

Naruto woke up and was about to head straight to the water to work on chakra control while Zabuza cooked breakfast, but he was stopped before he could.

"Hold up GakI, do you know what today is?"

Naruto gives a cocky smirk.

"The day we go home…"

"If you meet my standards, than yes, we will be going home, other wise we will finish out our time here."

Zabuza heaved his sword from it's temporary sand sheath.

"Well then, come at me with everything you got."

Naruto immediately charged with a downward slash that Zabuza blocked.

Naruto pushed with all his might…However, the older male was just to strong to be forced back.

Using his longer reach, Zabuza lashed out with his foot in an attempt to score the first hit, however, Naruto was ready for it and dodged the kick. With the lack of weight pushing down on his sword, Zabuza was forced slightly off balance. However, even a Genin taught by the legendary 'God of Shinobi', that was enough. Naruto managed to use the tall man's lack of balance to trip the Jonin.

The second Zabuza hit the ground, he was forced to roll to the side, or lose his head as Naruto brought the sword down, right where his neck had been.

Zabuza rolled several more times.

Naruto saw that Zabuza had stopped his rolling and was about to stand. Deciding to capitalize on the time Zabuza would need to stand, Naruto charged. He was however, caught off guard when Zabuza did a hand stand and kicked him right under the chin.

The force lifted the teen off the ground and into the air about eight feet. That wasn't all, while the blonde was falling. Zabuza performed his fastest Ninjutsu.

"**Water Release: Gunshot Jutsu**"

Seeing the water bullets about to hit, Naruto quickly switched with a water clone. When the clone was gone, Naruto was no where to be seen.

A smirk made it's way onto Zabuza's face.

"So, that's how you want to do this?"

Quickly turning, Zabuza's blade met Kubikiribocho.

"No!"

The Naruto he was facing dissolved into water.

From across the shore, Naruto flashes through hand seals at a speed well above any average Jonin. Zabuza still couldn't believe the speed the Genin could perform any Ninjutsu in his arsenal.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu!**"

Water from the ocean rises, forming a giant water dragon with glowing golden eyes.

Zabuza smirks and jumps, straight into the air. His sword was brought right onto the water construct's head, returning it to the ocean.

"Not bad, but not good enou-"

Zabuza just barely brings his sword up in time to block Naruto's swing. However, man's eyes widen when he notices Naruto's bulged cheeks.

The water bullet that Naruto fired was dyed red when it impacted Zabuza's face, breaking the man's nose.

"First blood, I win."

As if to accent the point, Naruto nodded down to the puddle of water that was dyed red with the Jonin's blood.

"Congratulations. It is with great pride when I say that you are now worthy of being one of the Seven. Lets go home."

In Kiri

Two of Kiri's most beautiful and powerful women stood across from each other in a field, both panting and bleeding.

Their battle was fierce, as the patches of burning grass and fallen trees can attest to.

One had hair that was black as night and reached her middle back, however, it was kept secure by a tight braid. Her dark chocolate eyes held a kindness in them, a kindness she wasn't showing to her opponent. She was a slender woman her body the epitome of fitness and beauty. In her hands was a sword that anybody who knew anything about Kiri or Kenjutsu would know. It was long, about three and a half feet, thin, with a very sharp point. The most distinguishing aspect was the line of wire trailing behind her. She was Haku Momochi-Uzumaki, daughter of the Mizukage and wife of Naruto Uzumaki.

Across the field was arguably, the strongest Kunoichi in the elemental nations. She had long russet red hair down to her ankles, shining jade eyes, and a curvy body that didn't belong on a warrior. Even though her hands were empty, she was far from unarmed. She was Mei Momochi, wife of Zabuza Momochi and the Godaime Mizukage.

Mei smiled at Haku.

"Lets call it a day."

"No, I must get stronger. For Naruto-kun!"

Haku was in front of Mei almost instantly.

Her attempts crisp and accurate. However, they weren't enough. No matter what she did, it was dodged.

Mei continued to dodge the strikes. Not as easily as four months ago, but they were dodged none the less.

As Mei kept dodging, Haku began to get discouraged however, the second it began, she thought back to two months ago.

*Flashback*

Mei and Haku were training, very similar to how they were currently, however, there was an air of happiness around them. That was to end when they both sensed an unfamiliar and powerful presence very close by. To close in fact.

"Hello ladies."

Both Kunoichi were shocked that the voice came from so close. As soon as they turned they were greeted with the sight of one of very few S-class ninja that weren't a Kage or Missing Nin.

"Jiraiya of the Sennin. What are you doing here? This could be seen as espionage against an allied village, destroying the bond between our villages seeing as I know I never allowed you to enter Kiri."

Jiraiya didn't seem bothered by her threat.

"Where is Naruto?"

Mei was put-out that her question went ignored.

"You didn't answer my question."

Jiraiya just gave what he thought was a sexy smirk. It was actually just a perverse smile.

"Well, you didn't answer mine."

'sigh'

'_I can't imagine Konoha wanting to hurt our alliance already.'_

"He is on a training trip with Zabuza."

Jiraiya nodded but seemed in thought.

"Where did they go?"

"First you tell me why you want to know."

Jiraiya and Mei were in the middle of a staring contest when Haku spoke up in a deadly tone.

"If you don't tell me why you are seeking my husband, you won't leave this village alive. I don't care how strong you are, I don't care what your village could do to mine. Nobody threatens my husband and gets away with it. Now, what is it you want."

As if to accentuate her point, she slowly drew her sword back to prepare to attack.

Jiraiya was almost scared of her.

"He is in danger and I wish to warn him."

"Danger from who?"

Jiraiya shook his head no.

"Not here, somewhere secure."

The three took a quick run to the Mizukage's office where Jiraiya was quick to install several security seals.

"Ok, are you both aware of his tenant?"

Both nodded.

"Are you both aware of his heritage?"

Both nodded.

"A group called Akatsuki are after him."

Mei went into Mizukage mode.

"What do they want with Naruto? Surely there are more high-profile targets out there."

"The tailed beasts… they are after Kyubbi and all the others."

Haku and Mei were speechless.

Mei broke out of her stupor first.

"Do you know if they have found Ukitake, the holder of the Six-tail? How powerful are they?"

Jiraiya sighed.

"They haven't. I have reason to believe that Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki are members, and that Orochimaru of the Sennin was a member at one point."

This got wide eyes from Mei and an emotionless stare from Haku.

"What do they want with the tailed beasts?"

Jiraiya just shook his head sadly.

"I don't know…The only reason I know as much as I do is because two men, matching the descriptions of Itachi and Kisame had spoken with one of my informants about the location of the Six and Nine Tailed Jinchuuriki…A few years back during one of my searches for Orochimaru, he was seen wearing the same thing… a black cloak with red clouds. However, that's not all. I have reason to believe, that Iwa has been told of his heritage. If I know that old, stubborn bastard as well as I think I do, then he won't care about the boy. However, he must keep up his soldiers' moral. If that means killing one teenage boy, then he won't hesitate."

Both Mei and Jiraiya were surprised when Haku started walking away.

It was Jiraiya who called out to her.

"Where are you going?"

When Haku turned back to them, they were shocked by the anger and determination her eyes held.

"If I'm going to show those fools what happens when someone threatens my husband…I need to get stronger."

Haku took off in a run back towards the Mizukage's training ground.

*End Flashback*

Haku's determination was renewed and she began striking out, faster, swifter, and cleaner.

Mei was hard pressed to continue dodging.

'_She is getting better every day…Incredible.'_

In an impressively acrobatic display, Mei bent backwards until she could perform a hand stand, as she did so, she lashed her foot out and kicked Haku's hand, forcing her to drop the sword.

However, Haku wasn't done. She flashed through several hand seals at low Jonin speed.

"**Ice Release: Thousand Flying Needles**"

The water from the natural mist in the air suddenly formed hundreds of small senbon out of ice. The needles immediately were sent at the Kage.

Knowing she couldn't dodge them all, Mei flashed through her own hand seals at a speed that was still a blur to Haku.

"**Earth Release: Mud Dome Jutsu**"

Mei spit out mud that formed a protective dome around her.

"Your getting better."

Haku did not take it as a compliment. She was about to charge at Mei with the nearby alarm clock rang.

"Alright, that's it for the day."

Haku looked like she wanted to complain, but simply nodded.

As the two made their way back to Mei's clan compound, they talked about this and that, most of it focusing on when Naruto and Zabuza would be back.

Little did they know that the subject of their conversation would be walking through the main gate, any minute now.

With Naruto and Zabuza

Both Naruto and Zabuza were dripping with sweat and almost out of chakra. That 36 hour trip out there was almost done and it had only been about 27 hours. Needless to say, both were reaching their limits.

Their already grueling pace increased when they passed a small travelers shop that was only a few miles out of Kiri.

So, traveling at a pace that would make most Jonin's head spin, Naruto and Zabuza went even faster.

'_Haku, I'm almost there.'_

They both passed through the gates as fast as possible and made a bee-line for their lovers.

As soon as Naruto arrived in his home, his heart dropped.

It looked like nobody had lived there in years. More likely would be four months…the amount of time since he left.

Just as despair was about to sink in, he registered the arms wrapped around him from behind, he internally noted that his shirt was getting wet.

When he finally came to his senses, he quickly spun and wrapped his wife in the tightest hug he could.

Even with his relief, a nagging voice in his head kept asking where she had been sleeping.

"Why does it look like nobody has been here since I left?"

Haku shook her head without letting go of him, tears of joy still falling from her eyes.

"I couldn't sleep alone…it was driving me nuts. Eventually Mei came over and was having the same problem, she agreed to allow me to stay in her guest bedroom."

Seeing her tear streamed face, hearing her confession. It hurt more than any blow Zabuza had ever given him.

"I'm sorry, I will _never _leave you again."

"Your damn right, because I won't let you."

And so, just like that, Naruto and Haku, fell asleep, finally in the arms of the one they love.

Both Naruto and Haku slept longer that night than either had in four months.

Haku gave a soft smile as she woke up. However, her smile didn't last long after her eyes opened. She was alone, her husband no where to been found.

She quickly got up and the house was clean, the four months of dust, gone…

Thanks to her fragile emotional state, her rational mind was out the window. The preverbal nail in the coffin as it were, was the calendar on the wall dated for 5 days after her new husband left.

"It…it was a-a dream, he only just left."

Haku was unable to stop the sobs from racking her body. She curled up on the bed and cried.

"It-it seemed so real, like all this time happened…"

"Haku are you alright?"

The second she heard the concerned voice she stopped. Looking up, she was unable to stop herself from jumping at her blonde haired husband.

"I thought it was a dream, that you were still gone. God knows I dreamt about your return…"

Naruto just held her for several minutes before breaking them apart and looking deep into her puffy brown eyes.

"Don't worry, as I said, I will _never _leave you again."

Without warning, her sad, brown eyes turned into the intense, sharp brown eyes of an experienced shinobi.

"We need to speak with Mei, there is something you must know."

Hand in hand, they made their way across the yard to the main house. Haku knocked and it wasn't long before Mei answered in a bath robe. Zabuza's complaints could be heard from their room.

Mei smiled at them before giving Naruto a friendly hug.

"So, have you two got _reacquainted?_"

Naruto's face got bright red while Haku, who was used to the red haired Kage's teasing, just got a tinge of pink.

"Yes, but we are here to discuss something important."

Mei's playful demeanor disappeared in its place was the Mizukage.

"Zabuza, get some clothes on and come to the dining room."

Hearing her serious tone, Zabuza immediately complied.

Two minutes later, Zabuza was sitting at the table with the others.

"What's this about?"

Mei took a deep breath.

"Two months ago…"

And so, Mei informed them of Akatsuki and their goals. Afterwards, Naruto and Zabuza were speechless.

'_Kisame is a member of Akatsuki…Kisame was stronger than Zabuza when he was at his peak…'_

'_That kid is going to need to be stronger if he wants any chance of standing up against Kisame, a lot stronger…Unfortunately I have taught him everything I can.'_

After some quiet time, Naruto spoke up.

"You said that they were just trying to get the locations of all the Jinchuuriki now right?"

Mei nodded.

"Then we should be fine…We just need to get stronger."

The four continued to discuss their options when Naruto brought up a valid question.

"Do we tell Chojuro? This way he will know what he is getting into."

Mei thought for a few minutes.

"No, we will tell him later. No need to worry him. If to many people know, then word could get to them, causing them to change plans. For now, train hard. The day after tomorrow you will be having your first official team meeting. Be at training ground 14 at noon."

Everyone agreed before heading to their respective bedrooms to continue their earlier tasks.

Naruto and Haku spent their day off together. Their primary task was to replace all of Naruto's destroyed clothes and gear…spending four months on an island with four pairs of clothes and one set of kunai, needless to say they were trash.

When they were done, Naruto's wardrobe remained relatively unchanged.

He wore a sleeveless black shirt that had a burnt orange Uzumaki Swirl on the back. With a white belt across his chest to carry Kubikiribocho. For pants he had white and black camouflage pants with a ninja tool pouch on his right hip. On his feet, he bought a new pair of black shinobi sandals. His hair was now even shorter, closer to that of Zabuza.

Naruto couldn't help but notice the looks of respect he received.

"The way they look at me, why do you think they do it?"

Haku was content just holding onto him.

"I don't know, could be the alliance you brought, it could even be the Kyubbi…"

Naruto gave her a disbelieving look.

"Hey it could be…This isn't Konoha you know. "

"No, that's not it. Even under the respect, I can see the underlining of fear. Its small, but it's there."

The two walked towards their home in silence before Naruto interrupted the peace.

"I bet it's the sword."

"Hmm?"

"The sword, it is one of the famous seven. It's part of Kiri's history."

Haku nodded.

"That's possible too, now, it doesn't matter. Lets get home and I will give you a massage."

Haku couldn't stop laughing when Naruto threw her over his shoulder and began sprinting towards their home.

Next day Training Ground 14

At 11:30 am, Naruto and Haku walk onto the training ground and see a blue haired boy with glasses, meditating on a small pond.

Naruto calls out to his new teammate.

"Hey Chojuro, we're not late are we?"

Chojuro looks up and gives a slight smile while standing to go meet his team on land.

"Depends on who you ask. According to most, your thirty minutes early. According to Ao-sensei, your thirty minutes late, he is very strict about being at least an hour early to any meeting, it allows you to either set up traps or check for traps."

Naruto gave him a blank stare before busting out laughing.

"It must have been fun training under him."

Chojuro shrugged.

"Fun? Definitely not. Worth the trouble, absolutely. I am considerably stronger than before."

Naruto got a dangerous glint in his eye.

"How much stronger?"

In a rare show of confidence, Chojuro stepped forward.

"Strong enough to beat you."

Naruto looked excited.

"HA lets see."

Chojuro began stepping back to get proper distance.

"Your on…anything goes?"

Naruto gave him an 'are you stupid look'

"Is there any other way to fight."

Haku just shook her head and sighed as she walked to the edge of the training ground, all the while muttering about how dumb boys can be.

When Haku finally got to the tree line, she was surprised to see Zabuza and Mei, just sitting on a fallen tree.

"Why are you guys over here?"

Mei just smiled.

"This is something they need to figure out for themselves."

Haku was now genuinely confused, so Zabuza filled her in.

"I don't think even they know it. But they are fighting for the leadership position. The winner of this fight will be the teams unofficial leader."

Haku's eyes went wide at that.

Back in the center of the training ground, both Naruto and Chojuro removed their swords from their backs.

Naruto glared competitively.

"Ready for this?"

Chojuro gave a slight nod.

"I was born ready."

In the blink of an eye, their swords met between them as they both struggled to over power the other.

In brute strength, Naruto was the clear victor. However, Chojuro was making his sword's ability known as it kept giving off waves of chakra every time he would gain ground.

Quickly spinning to the side and allowing Chojuro's sword to impact the ground, creating a small crater in the process. Naruto caught the blue haired swordsman in the chin with a backhand. Attempting to follow through, Naruto brought his sword around and tried to remove his head from his body.

As soon as Chojuro saw his opponent's plan, he had already come up with a tactic that was sure to surprise him enough to allow him the victory.

Channeling chakra into his own sword, Chojuro formed a protective shield around himself that Naruto's sword simply bounced off.

As soon as the threat of decapitation was ended, Chojuro commanded the shield to form his sword's famous hammer.

Swinging the chakra-hammer, Chojuro was actually surprised and disappointed when he struck Naruto in the chest.

His disappointment turned to shock when 'Naruto' turned to water.

His shock ended when he heard a shout.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu**"

Chojuro turned to see the biggest water dragon he had ever seen, it seemed like one out of the horror stories of Kisame.

Mentally commanding his hammer to reform the shield. Chojuro was relieved when the water dragon was dispersed on his chakra shield. However, the speed he was forced to move the shield took a lot of chakra, something he was sure Naruto noticed.

Naruto took stock of the situation.

'_I saw him form the shield before, it barely effected him. Why does he seem so much more tired now? I'll have to keep an eye on it.'_

Chojuro, being no slouch in Water Ninjutsu flashed through his own hand seals while Naruto was distracted.

"**Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu**"

Water from the pond gathered over Chojuro before shooting towards Naruto.

Naruto simply released the chakra keeping him on the surface of the water and sunk to the bottom of the pond where he applied chakra to stick to the bottom.

Feeling the water around him begin to rest after being disturbed by Chojuro's impressive display of Water Ninjutsu. He was about to surface when he saw Chojuro venture onto the water.

Getting a wicked smirk, Naruto flashed through some of his favorite hand seals.

'_**Water Release: Five Eating Sharks Jutsu.**__'_

Unfortunately, Chojuro was expecting something like this, so when the sharks attacked him, he turned to water.

'_Damn, Water Clone.'_

Deciding to take the fight to him, Naruto shot out of the water, and right to where he believed Chojuro was. It proved he was right.

Though his downward slash was blocked, but Naruto was able to heel kick Chojuro back a few feet.

The Kenjutsu fight that followed was nothing less than spectacular. Proving exactly why they were the future of the seven.

Eventually though, keeping up the hammer for to long caused Chojuro to run low on chakra and without the extra strength provided from his sword, he was quickly over powered.

Chojuro was knocked onto his back by Naruto hitting him with the flat side of his blade. When Chojuro looked up, Naruto had his giant sword pointing right at his neck.

"I surrender."

Naruto gave a small smile and helped Chojuro up, both panting.

Suddenly, clapping was heard and when they looked around, Zabuza, Mei, Haku and most of the Hunter nin and Anbu were there as well. Apparently the levels of chakra they were putting out gathered a lot of attention.

Both just smiled sheepishly, neither really used to the attention.

However, Zabuza quickly got fed up with waiting for them to leave.

"GET OUT OF HERE! WE HAVE A TEAM MEETING TO CONDUCT!"

Zabuza is scary. That fact was obvious when Kiri's strongest ninja fled like sheep in a wolves den.

The only ones left was the new team and the Mizukage.

Mei leaned over and gave Zabuza a quick kiss.

"See you tonight hun, take it easy on them. It's there first day."

Zabuza just grumbled about ruining his scary introduction.

"Alright, before we get started with any real training, I want you each to introduce yourselves. Name, likes, dreams, the whole nine yards. Haku, you first."

"My name is Haku Momochi-Uzumaki. I like my husband, Naruto, 'father' , Zabuza, and my 'mother', Mizukage-sama. I dislike killing if it is not necessary. My dream is to have a large family."

Zabuza nodded.

"Ok, now you Chojuro."

"My name is Chojuro, no surname. I'm an orphan from the war. I like training, Ao-sensei and Mizukage-sama. I dislike war. My dream is to restore the Seven Swordsmen to their former glory."

"Ok, Naruto."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I love my wife, Haku and like my sensei, Zabuza, I also like training. I dislike people who allow their hatred to consume them. My dream is to become strong enough to fight and beat each of the five Kage."

Zabuza nodded at that, it was after all a dream he had once had.

"Alright, we already know each other's abilities so lets just go get a mission."

The three students nod.

It doesn't take long for them to arrive at the first floor of the Mizukage Tower, where missions are given.

When Zabuza and his team walk in, the Chunin bowed to them.

"What rank mission would you like for your team?"

Zabuza appeared in thought for a minute.

"Lets start off easy…"

The man began reaching for a D-rank when Zabuza just picked up a folder off the B-rank stack and began reading.

"This will do, thanks."

Meanwhile, both the Chunin and the students were shocked.

'_B-rank to start off easy?'_

The adventure of Team Swordsmen begins.

**Alright, that's it…Let me know what you think. **


	6. Eventually Seven, Start with Three

**I don't own Naruto**

_Previously on Kiri's Phantom Blade_

_The man began reaching for a D-rank when Zabuza just picked up a folder off the B-rank stack and began reading._

"_This will do, thanks."_

_Meanwhile, both the Chunin and the students were shocked._

'_B-rank to start off easy?'_

Chapter 6

Adventures of Team Swordsmen

Chojuro spoke up first after receiving their mission.

"Zabuza-sensei, How long will the mission be? I only have a few days worth of supplies."

Zabuza shrugged.

"That should be fine. A small village in the Land of Lightning, but right on the border of Water, they have been experiencing constant attacks by bandits…"

Haku spoke up quickly.

"Why would the council accept this mission? It could cause a war with Kumo. Even if it's on the border, it is still their land. The current Raikage is known to be rather quick to anger…"

Naruto and Chojuro nodded their agreement, but Zabuza spoke up.

"True, but they have been attempting to get word to Kumo for nearly two weeks with no response. Their military is being beaten back…On top of that, we sent a message to Kumo and never received a reply. Sounds like someone is screening their mail before the Raikage can see it."

Seeing his student's faces still skeptical, Zabuza sighed.

"Plus the village has agreed to take blame of any fallout from this…their military won't be able to keep their raiding groups at bay for much longer…There is a boat waiting at the Northern Docks, lets go."

Still a little unsure, the Jonin and three Genin board the boat and wait…

Even though the trip is only about eight hours, Naruto is ready to blow a gasket by the time they can see land.

When the boat docks, the first one off is Naruto.

Zabuza is quick to scold him.

"Quiet, your drawing unneeded attention to us."

Getting a hold of himself, Naruto nodded.

"Our mission orders say that we should be going to meet the mayor, he lives above a large brown fishing shop…"

The three just look at him like he's stupid.

"Hey that's what it says."

Shrugging, they begin their search. After twenty minutes, the four begin to get angry.

"This whole damn village is made of brown fishing stores."

Zabuza, finally having enough. The next person they walk by is average height, with short brown hair and black glasses. He is wearing tan pants and a white shirt.

Zabuza, being ever impatient lifts the man up by his shirt.

"HEY! Where the fuck is the Mayor?"

The man looks at Zabuza in fear as his legs try to run, despite not being on the ground.

"I-I am the Mayor."

All three sweat-drop.

"Uhhh, good. We are here for a mission. We are Kiri nin."

The man's face lights up.

"Oh good! We have been trying to get messages to Kumo for two weeks with no reply."

Zabuza nodded.

"When we received you message, we attempted to contact Kumo, however we received no response. It's possible that whoever is attacking you, has someone on the inside in Kumo."

The Mayor nodded.

"We suspected the same thing."

Zabuza thought for a minute before continuing.

"Ok, tell us about the attackers."

The Mayor nodded and began.

"Well, they seem like ordinary bandits. They come almost every night, usually about two dozen men armed with swords and spears. At first we suspected that they didn't have the man-power for a full scale attack, so they were going to slowly weaken us. However, they have lost a lot more men then us."

Zabuza nodded.

"Keep your men indoors for tonight. We will handle it."

Tears shown at the corners of the mayor's eyes.

"Thank you Shinobi-san. Though we have not lost many, each loss hurts our village greatly."

Zabuza gave a cocky smirk.

"Consider the pest exterminated."

"Ok team, it's only two hours till sundown. I want each at a gate. I'll roam between the three. Naruto you get West, Chojuro North and Haku South. Set up traps but only ones that won't cause damage and civilians are unlikely to set off."

The three Genin nodded before taking off to prepare. Naruto spent his time lining the mountain side and trees with tripwires set up to throw kunai and shuriken.

Haku strategically placed water around the gate for her newly complete, and most powerful technique.

Chojuro was unable to prepare traps since his gate was the primary civilian entrance.

Speaking into his communicator for the first time, Zabuza got their attention.

"It's sundown. What's your situation?"

"This is Naruto, all clear."

"This is Chojuro, all clear."

…

…

"Haku, what is your status."

…

"Hak-"

"Stand bye, I have some movement, it appears to be shinobi, a skilled one at that."

"Follow him, I'll watch over your gate, be there in twenty seconds…go."

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

"I lost the shinobi and am under attack by at least four dozen bandits armed with explosives…unable to pursue."

"Hai, everyone hear that. Be on the lookout for a shinobi. I'll be at your gate in ten sec…"

"No need. **Ice Release: Divine Intervention**."

When Zabuza arrived, he was shocked, he had never seen Haku move so fast, he could just barely track her.

He watched as Haku froze a dozen patches of water on the ground into her ice mirrors. However, this time the mirror stayed on the ground.

Zabuza was shocked when she sunk into one of the mirrors, simultaneously appearing from another, easily piercing the bodies of the four bandits nearby with Nuibari, tying the four in a large knot.

'_Just like the Yellow Flash. By the time you see what's happening, your already dead...Mei said she got stronger, but this is insane.'_

Zabuza couldn't help but smile proudly at his adoptive daughter.

That is until his radio goes dead.

"Anyone read me? Anyone?"

Haku appears out of a mirror, and cuts down one more bandit before turning to him and gesturing to her headset.

Using signals from their time as a missing nin, Zabuza tells her that she is on her own while he goes and checks on the others.

Haku quickly nods before sinking into the mirror.

**Crash**

Zabuza watches as a building near Chojuro's gate is collapsed.

'_Damn kids, I told them to watch the collateral damage. Kumo could come down on us really hard for that. At least all the buildings near the entrances have been evacuated.'_

When he looked towards Naruto's gate he saw a large cloud of mist.

'_They sure are all taking this seriously.'_

Suddenly, as fast as the fighting began, it stopped.

A crackling and broken voice could be heard on the headset.

"c-ca-can a-an-nyon-e he-ear m-me?"

"Go ahead Chojuro."

Slowly, the headsets began functioning properly.

"South gate clear."

"North gate clear."

"West gate clear."

"Anyone get sight of that shinobi?"

"Negative"

"No"

"Sorry"

"DAMN! I bet that whole thing was a distraction for whatever that shinobi did."

Meanwhile not far from the village.

A man dressed in all black sat in a tree. He had long brown hair and green eyes. On his left bicep was an Iwa forehead protector. Through the center of it was a slash.

If one were to look in any Bingo Book, you would find him. His name was Ishi Suterusu. He was an A-rank missing-nin from Iwa. Not to mention was the ex-head of Iwa's espionage department. He was famous in Iwa's Anbu for destroying the Yondaime's home and seal vault in order to keep other Konoha nin from learning the techniques that changed the tide of the war.

Across his entire stomach was a large gash.

"Damn that brat!"

*Flashback

Ishi was watching his target. He was slightly surprised by the fact that Kiri nin were there but that didn't really matter, they were only Genin and the over-exaggerated Demon of the Hidden Mist. They were no threat.

Taking up his position at the South gate, he signaled for the attack. Using the noise from the bandits, he made his way towards the gate.

To say he was surprised would be an understatement.

'_She saw me? Nobody has ever seen me if I don't want to be. I need to be careful.'_

Luckily, the bombs that the bandits used, distracted her enough for her to lose sight of him…

*Six minutes later*

With his deed done, he was ready to head out…The only question was how.

'_I can't go the way I came. She was skilled enough to see me. I can't go North, that gate is to small and I would surly be seen even by an academy student. West it is.'_

Looking West, he saw that the Kiri nin had provided the perfect cover.

'_Fools always did think that the __**Hidden Mist Jutsu **__only helps them.'_

Making his way through the mist as silently as he could, he was shocked when the blonde haired zanbatou wielder appeared in front of him.

Acting fast, he substituted with one of the bandits but not before receiving a cut that would most likely be his undoing.

*End Flashback*

Ishi looked up at the sky as he began to feel his strength fading away. All he could see were those eyes. Those yellow, uncaring cat-like eyes as claws tore his brother's throat out.

"At least I will have my revenge."

With his last words said, he passed from the world of the living.

Next morning with Team Zabuza

"Alright, it appears that was the only attack."

All three nodded.

"Now, I know your tired but this is why you train. I have alerted the Mayor and he is putting his military on high alert. Meanwhile we are going to search the surrounding area. Hopefully we can find some sort of track from that shinobi."

The three nodded and awaited their orders.

"Fan out, stay within radio range, and begin at each of your gates."

"Hai Zabuza-sensei."

Zabuza watched as his three students dissolved into puddles of water.

'_Those three are going to do great things. They haven't slept in almost two days and are still going strong.'_

It wasn't ten minutes after the search began when Naruto's voice came over the radio.

"I have the Shinobi. He is dead, from what I can tell since last night some time."

"Stay where you are, I'm in route. Haku, Chojuro, continue your search. Especially you Haku, he came in through your gate."

"Hai Zabuza-sensei."

It didn't take long for Zabuza to arrive where he found a brown haired Iwa Jonin, long dead from a deep slash across his stomach.

As soon as he saw the damage he know what happened.

"Congratulations Naruto, you killed your first A-rank missing nin."

Naruto's eyes went wide.

"WHAT? I didn't kill him."

Zabuza gave him a wicked smirk.

"See how the cut is even, it means that the sword caught him evenly, if it was slashed then it would start small right here and get bigger before getting small again."

Naruto nodded slowly before interrupting.

"But if I did it he would have been cut in half. There is no way he would have been able to jump back fast enough for him to dislodge my sword from his stomach. Not to mention there is no way I wouldn't have cut all the way through."

Zabuza nodded at his students words.

"True, but this isn't just some Chunin. This here is Ishi Suterusu, he was a big shot in Iwa. Very famous for his stealth skills. No, he decided to travel through your mist in order to leave the village, believing his stealth skill would be plenty to pass you. However, you surprised him and after he was at this point, he probably substituted with something, more likely someone. I've seen it several times when using the mist."

Naruto looked down.

"Damn it!"

Zabuza was surprised by his shout.

"What's wrong?"

"If it wasn't for me we would be able to question him, but the dead don't speak."

Zabuza shook off Naruto's worries.

"We will search his possessions and maybe that will lead us to his mission."

Both Naruto's and Zabuza's head sets went off with Chojuro on the other end.

"I have searched the area within five miles of the gate and found nothing."

Next Haku spoke up.

"I found the main bandit camp but they cleaned it up pretty well. I was unable to find anything of value."

"Ok, both of you, we are currently about one mile outside of the West gate. Report to me now."

"Hai."

When the others arrived, they continued to search the dead man, all they found of interest were some unique sealing tags.

Chojuro wasn't sure but he believed they could have been responsible for disabling the radios.

Other than that, nothing. Just standard equipment. Mostly things to help with escape. Smoke bombs, pepper bombs, flash tags, etc.

As the four brought him towards the village, Naruto placed the strange radio tag in his pocket, never noticing that the small purple stain on the back, began to leak through his pocket before getting on his skin.

As soon as the Kiri nin left the area. An Iwa Anbu dropped the Genjutsu that hid him as a rock.

"Seems like Kiri has some serious Genin. To be able to detect Ishi while using the **Hidden Mist Jutsu**. He must be even better than Zabuza. Ishi was an A-rank ninja strictly for his stealth…"

If you were to look close enough, you could see the Iwa nin shudder slightly at the though of someone being able to detect his former comrade.

The Iwa nin turned to stone before crumbling to dust, well on his way back home, to inform his leader of the new development.

With Team Zabuza

As they made their way back to the village, Naruto was feeling strange.

'_W-why do I feel so angry? So full of hate?'_

Slowly, things that he usually wouldn't even notice were on the verge of setting him off.

Half way there he finally blew up, scaring everyone.

"GODDAMMIT CHUJURO! WHY THE FUCK DO YOU INSIST ON WEARING THOSE STUPID EARMU…"

Before he was able to finish he fell to the ground, unconscious.

In their shock, Haku nearly missed catching him.

If they were shocked before, they were stunned when red chakra slowly began to circle around him.

When Naruto finally woke up, he was shocked to find himself standing on a clear blue pond. The water was in fact so blue that it didn't seem natural. The edges were made of dark jagged rock. Towards the far end, was a huge mountain, several times bigger than the pond.

"Where am I?"

If he was expecting an answer he was sorely mistaken.

Walking around, and trying to discover his current location, he noticed that at the far end, near the mountain, the pond was rather dirty, it appeared to be turning red.

The further he got, the redder the water was.

So far, nothing was making any sense.

He noticed a wall made out of boulders.

That is until he saw a very familiar symbol.

"Th-that's my seal…then, this must be where the Kyubbi is…It's a dam, not a mountain."

**ROAR**

Naruto could hear the Kyubbi slamming around, probably trying to get free.

That was when it all came back to him…

'_I was angry, really angry…it must have something to do with Kyubbi.'_

Upon closer inspection, Naruto realized that there was some strange purple goo attacking his seal. Red water that looked like it should only be trickling was shooting out like a Water Jutsu.

"Ok, my chakra is the blue water and Kyubbi's is the red water. The old man said that Kyubbi's chakra would slowly bleed into my own. That is not slowly, why is there so much red…Is it always like this? No, the anger I felt must have been from all the extra chakra."

Naruto's eyes went wide as a part of the dam that was the seal broke and more red water was mixing with the blue.

'_It's almost half way taken over.'_

"**I WILL CRUSH YOU HUMAN!**"

"This is bad…"

Outside

"**Ice Release: Ice Wall Jutsu!**"

Naruto's fist obliterated the wall, a red shroud surrounding him, giving him the appearance of a one-tailed fox.

"**RRROOOAAARRR!**"

The berserk Naruto's tail whipped around, heading right for the Haku, the tail pierced right through her stomach. Slowly, her complexion paled, until she was blue. It was merely an Ice Clone. It was shocking when the girl turned her head to Naruto.

"You can do this Naruto. **Ice Shrapnel Clone!**"

A pale light made itself know at her core before she exploded, sending jagged pieces of ice in every direction.

Naruto roared in pain when several pieces of ice imbed themselves in his torso.

"**RRROOOAAARRR!**"

Slowly, a second tail began to form, Naruto's red eyes promising death.

"**Hiramekarei: Unleash!**"

Everyone looked up, Naruto included, only to see Chojuro with a giant chakra hammer slam Naruto into the ground, forcing the boy several feet into the ground.

Zabuza, unable to do any running merely yelled to his team.

"Move to immobilize!"

Chojuro, who still had his sword over the berserk Naruto yellowed out.

"**Hiramekarei: Bind!**"

The giant hammer dissolved, warping itself around the boy's arms and legs, keeping him from moving.

Zabuza wasn't to far behind the boy.

"**Water Release: Water Prison Justu!**"

Around both, Chojuro's sword and Naruto a dome of water appeared, entrapping the blond.

Chojuro was just glad he could still use his swords abilities when he wasn't touching it.

Haku was the last to walk up, she merely touched Zabuza's water prison.

"**Demonic Ice Mirror Encampment.**"

From the surrounding water, several mirrors of ice rose, and bound themselves together, surrounding the boy.

The three were panting in near-exhaustion when they realized they were alright.

Zabuza couldn't help but shiver when flashback of his fight with Yagura passed through his head.

*Flashback

Zabuza was panting, he was covered in small cuts and bruises. He held in his hand, what was left of Kubikiribocho, a mere chunk of steel, maybe four inches long.

His opponent was even worse. Yagura, the Yondaime Mizukage's was bleeding profusely from a gash on his stomach. His arm was bent in an unnatural way. Instead of his normal green eyes, Yagura's eyes were purple, the same color as the strange chakra shroud surrounding him, two tails, dancing around him.

"I MAY BE NO SAINT, BUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS WRONG!"

The Mizukage just stared at what was once, one of his most loyal nin.

"Those _things _are an abomination and must be destroyed. Why can't you see this?"

Zabuza glared even harder at the man that was his leader.

"Perhaps in death you will see the destruction these monsters create."

Slowly, the ominous feeling grew, the third, and final tail grew, the layer of chakra on his back, solidified, forming a spiked shell...

*End Flashback

Zabuza shook his head to get rid of the memory, it was not one he liked.

All three were just thankful that he hadn't escaped.

Inside Seal

Without having any other better ideas, Naruto flashed through some hand seals, making sure to concentrate on getting the blue water.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu**"

As the blue water rose and charged for the seal, the red water attempted to block it by forming a wall. However, the red water was just acting on instinct and had no will, the blue water blew right through the red water and hit the seal. Almost immediately the purple goo began to sizzle before disappearing.

The damage was already done.

"What do I do?"

A large boulder from the top fell down and for the first time, Naruto was greeted with the sight of the Kyubbi no Yoko. The hatred in it's eyes made Naruto shudder.

Without a second thought, Naruto flashed through the same hand seals he had just done.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu**"

However, much to his shock, the water hit the giant fox but the fox didn't even blink.

"I-I'm sorry Haku-chan, Zabuza-sensei. I don't know what to do."

"That's ok, because I do."

Naruto was expecting a lot of things. But to see his dead father, the Yondaime Hokage standing there wasn't one of them.

While Naruto was still shocked, Minato walked up and fixed the seal by simply lying his hand over it. It quickly siphoned most of the red water back to Kyubbi's side.

Outside

Chojuro could barely hear the pained wail from his sword when the binds broke, the water and ice merely evaporated. Standing, in all his glory, was an 8-tailed Naruto. The boy was about to pounce when the energy faded, leaving Naruto to fall to the ground, unconscious.

Inside the Seal

Naruto was standing across from his father…

While his father had tears in his eyes.

"So, your telling me that only a few people respected my wishes."

Naruto sadly shook his head.

"Not even that many… only one, Sarutobi-sensei. I earned the others."

Naruto noticed the Hokage ball his fists in anger.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm happy."

"Don't lie to me. How can someone be happy when their entire village hates them, with the exception of five or six people."

Naruto smirked. Obviously the Yellow Flash wasn't known for his keen eye.

"My village loves me. It's your village that hates me."

Minato's head shot up, and for the first time he noticed the Kiri headband.

"So you abandoned Konoha for Kiri, not that I can blame you. How did Sarutobi take it?"

Naruto shrugged.

"Pretty good, it was his idea."

"Why would he do that."

Naruto smirked again.

"Two words, Blood Alliance."

At first he began chuckling, then it became a laugh before it was full blown cackling.

When he finally calmed down, Minato managed to get some words out.

"That old geezer always made the council think they had him where they wanted him but he was always the one to come out ahead."

It was at that minute that Minato's eyes went wide.

"Wait a minute… So how far have you gotten with using Kyubbi's chakra?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow before responding.

"Never have"

Minato's eyes widened.

"What caused you to lose control?"

Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know, this is the first time I came here. There was some weird purple goo on the seal, I think it was designed to destroy it."

Minato appeared in thought for a few minutes.

"Tell me about the mission…"

"Well, it is in a small fishing village on the border of the Land of Lightning…"

When he was done. Minato was still thinking.

"That sounds just like when Suna tried to poison Sarutobi through his tobacco."

Naruto's confused face forced Minato to go into detail.

"During the Second Shinobi war, Sarutobi almost died because someone was able to lace his tobacco with some slow acting poison. They did it just like that. They used bandits to attack the village over and over again. They needed the time for their shinobi to make sure it was the one going to Sarutobi and not just some random unlucky bastard. Luckily Tsunade was able to catch it or the Sandaime would have died."

Naruto was thinking…

However his thoughts were interrupted.

Just like that before his eyes, Minato began to fade away.

"Looks like I'm out of chakra. Good luck my son, grow strong and protect those important to you…"

Naruto stood there for a moment, staring where his father had just stood.

"Goodbye…Father…I wonder how I get out o…f-ack."

When Naruto opened his eyes, he saw that Haku was trying to get Zabuza off him who just so happened to be kicking him in the ribs while Chojuro watched, unsure of what to do.

Easily kicking the distracted Zabuza off him, Naruto grabbed Haku in a hug.

"I thought I was never going to see you again."

"I love being in your arms again but we need to hurry."

All of them were in shinobi mode.

"I believe that Iwa nin had a grudge against Kumo. Somewhere I picked up some poison that attacked my seal…If it wasn't for a failsafe that the Yondaime put in we would all be dead."

Chojuro wasn't sold.

"You say they had a grudge against Kumo, but you said it affected your seal. What good would that do against everyone else."

Naruto sighed and began to quickly explain.

"What kind of village is this?"

"A fishing village."

"What kind of Jinchuuriki does Kumo have?"

Chojuro was drawing a blank so Haku helped.

"A half bull, half octopus and a cat."

Naruto nodded.

"The Nibi Jinchuuriki. It is even listed in the Bingo Book that she loves sushi, what better way to get revenge than force one of its protectors to attack the civilians. If it succeeds and kills a lot of people he wins. If it fails and they have to kill their Jinchuuriki he wins…"

The others all agreed.

Arriving at the Mayors 'house'. They knocked quickly.

When the tired Mayor saw who it was he was alert.

"Is something the matter shinobi-san? I thought the bandits were taken care of."

Zabuza took up the lead.

"Yes, they are taken care of. But we believe they were just a distraction."

The Mayor's eyes went wide.

"A distraction for what?"

"They wanted to poison one of the shinobi of Kumo."

So they explained their theory and the Mayor was sad to tell them that it probably arrived in Kumo a few hours earlier.

With haste, the four Kiri nin ran as fast as they could to Kumo's main gate. Unfortunately, all but Naruto was wounded, but the boy was exhausted.

As they were running, they could feel more and more of Kumo's Anbu merging on their position.

"Zabuza-sensei what should we do?"

…

"If they order us to stop we stop. But I will make sure they know what we are here for."

Before they knew it, they were being tailed by a dozen Anbu level ninja.

When they finally reached the gate, they were shocked to see the Raikage already there. His famous lightning armor active.

When the Kiri nin arrived, the Raikage got a good look at them.

'_Hmm, Zabuza Momochi... I wonder if he gave his sword to the blonde just because of some political bullshit, or if there is something special about him. I'll have to find out.'_

"You Kiri nin better have a good explanation for charging my village."

Excitement could be seen in the Raikage's eyes. Something that was reflected in Naruto's.

"Raikage-sama, you must make sure that the Nibi Jinchuuriki doesn't eat the sushi. It is poisoned!"

The Raikage's eyes went wide before he narrowed them at the team.

"How do I know this isn't some sort of ploy?"

…

Naruto interrupted their talk.

"Look, just send some ninja to make sure she doesn't eat the sushi… If she does then her and a lot of people are going to die."

"You say her sushi is poisoned. How will a lot of people die?"

'_explain that.'_

"The poison won't affect her, she won't even know anything is happening. The poison will attack her seal, it works as a corrosive. The Nibi would be released within five minutes of her consuming it."

For almost a minute, the A appeared to be in deep thought.

"Darui, bring Yugito here, make sure she doesn't eat her sushi. But stop by the hospital on the way and have it analyzed."

"Ok, Boss."

For nearly ten minutes the Kiri team waited patiently while the Kumo nin held their weapons at the ready, just waiting for a reason to strike.

After ten minutes, an annoyed Yugito showed up.

"The hospital said there was some sort of foreign chemical, but couldn't analyze it that quickly… Darui decided to stay and wait. I thought I would inform you that it appeared they were correct."

"Hmm…Arrest them."

'_This will assure that he fights with everything he has.'_

Before the Kiri nin could respond, they all had chakra suppression seals placed on them.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MEANING BEHIND THIS?"

The Raikage shrugged.

"You broke the law and now you will be punished for it."

Just as he was about to walk away, Naruto called out to him.

"HEY A!"

The Anbu were about to strike for speaking to their leader in such a disrespectful manner but the A stopped them with a wave.

"What do you want?"

Taking a deep breath, Naruto spoke up.

"Your beliefs of strength being the only thing that truly matters is rather well known…How about I show you just how strong Kiri really is."

A mentally smiled.

'_Bingo'_

"You? A genin, wants to fight me? One of the strongest ninjas alive, and definitely the fastest."

Naruto, feeling slightly more comfortable smirked confidently.

"Well, if you don't think you can win."

The Raikage got a gleam in his eye.

"Ha, I could beat you even without my lightning armor."

"When."

"Tomorrow, noon. You will stay in the small hotel around the corner. Anbu team 4 here will be watching you, no funny business. Also, all except for the blonde will keep their chakra suppressors."

Without waiting for a reply, the Raikage walked away while thinking about the fight the next day.

'_If nothing else, it should be entertaining.'_

With Kiri nin

The four man Anbu team led them to their hotel before disappearing into a shadow. However, the Kiri team were able to easily track them from the sounds they made, from their heartbeat to their footsteps, it was like a beacon.

The second the door to their hotel closed, Haku made her move.

_SLAP!_

"What-the-hell-is-the-matter-with-you?"

Every word was accentuated with another slap.

Despite having her chakra sealed, she was easily able to overpower the blonde genin.

"I'm sorry but it was all I could think of. At least now we have a shot."

Haku's glare told Naruto that she wasn't convinced.

"I kind of hoped he would have delayed it for longer so that Kiri could get wind of what happened and hopefully send back-up."

Though, still not happy, Haku relented since nobody else had any better ideas.

'_That, and instead of being stuck in a jail cell I'm in a hotel.'_

The four slept soundly, even through their worry. Growing up as ninja can really help steel the nerves.

It is ten minutes to noon and Naruto is standing in the center of the training ground that his fight would take place in.

If one was to look at him, he seemed fine, however, to anyone who truly knew him. It was easy to see he was nervous.

His eyes closed, relying on his keen hearing to alert him of what was going on around him.

His arm twitching towards his sword at the slightest noise.

The whispering of the small, gathered crowd of Jonin stopped suddenly.

When Naruto opened his eyes, he saw the Raikage walking towards him with a similar looking man to his side.

They were both huge men, built more like body builders then shinobi.

The Raikage wore his Kage robes with no shirt, he had large gold bracers on each arm with a fuma shuriken tattoo on each bicep.

The man next to him is of similar size and build, he has white hair in corn-rolls, along with a goatee. The strange thing is that he has seven swords on his back.

'_How could anyone fight with seven swords?'_

The Raikage speaks up, breaking Naruto from his analysis.

"Ok, the fight is between me and Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko and Apprentice of Zabuza Momochi."

When the large man spoke of his Jinchuuriki status, all the Kiri nin's eyes went wide, along with the surrounding Kumo nin.

"How-"

A just smirked.

"I've seen the power a Jinchuuriki can hold, I make it a habit to know the abilities of each of them. That is easy for all except for you, and the Ichibi seeing as you two are just coming of Shinobi age."

Before Naruto could speak, A continued.

"The fight has been agreed upon, if you impress me, I will let your team go. If you fail then you will face trial for attempting to invade Kumo. It was agreed upon at an earlier time that I will not be allowed to use my famous **Lightning Armor**. Lets begin."

As he drew his sword, Naruto discretely placed an exploding tag on the flat side of the blade.

Stabbing the sword into the ground, Naruto flashed through several hand seals that his village was famous for.

"If I want any chance of beating you, I need every advantage I can get. **Water Release: Choking Fog Jutsu**"

"HA you will have to do better than that."

Just as he was about to slam the ground to clear the mist, he heard the distinct sound of metal flying through the air. Acting on instinct, he jumped. He got the shock of his life when he looked down at the sword below him.

'_EXPLODING TAG!'_

The Raikage was unable to move from above the sword and was forced to receive the brunt of the explosion.

Naruto sprinted and caught his sword before it hit the ground.

"Very clever, because of the size of the sword very few would try and block it, add in the fact with the mist, it would be even more risky to try. With the length of it, it make the only feasible dodge either above or below. My size means getting on the ground would prove slower, so, you put the exploding tag so that it would go off right at my feet. It would have worked against a weaker shinobi, but exploding tags are like bug bites to me. Think of something else."

Naruto was shocked.

'_He figured out my entire thought process in the span of ten seconds. Not to mention an exploding tag at point blank range barely singed him. He is smart and built like a tank. This just got harder.'_

Putting more chakra into his **Choking Fog**, which didn't seem to be affecting A at all.

Naruto silently made his way behind the Raikage. Naruto attempted a downward slash, but much to his shock, the Raikage quickly turned around and caught the sword in his bare hands. (much like Killer B did to Suigetsu)

The force of the swing caused A to sink into the ground.

Just as the larger man was about to pull the sword from the young man's grasp, he felt Naruto's feet run up his chest using chakra to stick to him.

The powerful, double footed kick to the face caused A to stumble back, as well as release his grip on the sword. As A stumbled and Naruto fell to the ground, Naruto spun in a circle and scored a shallow cut on the Kage's arm.

'_This kid has serious potential.'_

Acting while he still knew his location, A ran up to Naruto and picked him up by the head before slamming him into the ground.

He was only more impressed when 'Naruto' turned to water.

'_He created a clone for emergencies. Clever.'_

However, he was forced out of his musing when all the mist suddenly disappeared with a shout.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu**"

The mist condensed into what was the largest elemental dragon he had ever seen.

Impressed by the kids Ninjutsu, A simply let his giant fist fly at the large water monster.

Much to all of the Kiri nin's shock and Kumo nin's pride, the water dragon was defeated by the Raikage's bare fist.

However, it wasn't without punishment. The Raikage's right hand was now bleeding rather severely.

Meanwhile, Naruto's head was spinning.

'_He just punched, _PUNCHED _my strongest, battletested Jutsu and beat it. This is unreal...Kenjutsu is all I have that can actually hurt him.'_

Against his better judgment, Naruto charged at the giant of a man.

Much to Naruto's relief, the man began to dodge.

Swing after swing, the Raikage was showing just how good he was.

'_I can't even touch him. No wonder he is considered the fastest man alive. He doesn't even have his lightning armor on.'_

The Raikage continued to dodge like it was nothing. However, in his head was another story.

'_This kid is good. Lets see how he does without his sword.'_

Without delay, the Raikage locked eyes with Naruto, an amused smirk on his face.

Naruto went in for a slash that could have taken off his head, but A just ducked under it, sliding right next to Naruto.

The Kumo nin had to fight, not to laugh when they saw the Raikage take a kunai from Naruto's own pouch.

Naruto quickly turned, attempting a downward slash.

However, everyone was in for a shock. The kunai began to glow as if electricity was traveling through it.

The Raikage easily placed the small knife in the way of the giant cleaver.

It cut through the legendary zanbatou like it was made of butter.

In his shock, Naruto was unable to do anything when the large fist of the Raikage connected with his face.

The force of the punch sent him flying, through several large boulders before he landed in the nearby pond.

"I must say…You're not bad."

After several seconds, the boy didn't surface and A was beginning to get disappointed.

"ANBU, grab the boy, make sure he is alive."

Two members of Kumo's Anbu shimmered into existence before diving into the water to retrieve the boy.

They came up several seconds later with the boy, bloody and broken.

"Tch, not to bad. But I've seen better."

"CARE TO RETHINK THAT!?"

A's eyes widened to comical proportions. Turning quickly, he saw the boy. His shock turned to pain when the boy's destroyed sword suddenly grew back to it's normal size, the scent of blood was heavy in the air.

A was to shocked to defend when the blade was dragged across his stomach. His own blood splattering on the ground below him.

In that instant, the fight was over.

'_A _Genin _drew my blood. Incredible.'_

Haku was the first by Naruto's side.

However, Kumo Anbu were closely following, ready to end his life on the Raikage's word.

"The Kiri nin are free to go. I think drawing the blood of a Kage is enough to warrant being impressed. They go free, I am a man of my word."

Many of the Kumo nin didn't like that very much. But fear of the Raikage's temper kept their mouths shut.

The Anbu members released the suppression seals from Chojuro, Zabuza and Haku.

The Raikage turned to Zabuza.

"You are free to spend the night so he can recover, but you will be out of Kumo tomorrow morning."

Zabuza nodded, the Kiri group made their way to their hotel, Naruto leaning on both, Haku and Chojuro.

The Kiri nin stayed in the same room as before. Where, Haku refused to leave Naruto's side.

They all left, eager to get home.

That evening, they are on the boat and Kiri comes into sight.

"Oh, hey GakI, you get to give the report."

"Why?"

Zabuza shrugged.

"You saved our asses, you deserve the credit."

Haku was about to speak up, but a look from Zabuza silenced her.

'_Sorry Naruto-kun.'_

Later, when the arrive in Mei's office, Zabuza, Haku, and Chojuro leave Naruto alone to give his report.

"**YOU DID WHAT?!**"

Mei gave Naruto an ass chewing he would never forget.

Meanwhile in Iwa

"Dog, is this a joke? Because it isn't funny."

"No Tsuchikage-sama. A blonde haired Genin from Kiri was able to successfully **Silent Kill **Ishi. I was just as shocked as you are. However, he is the apprentice of Zabuza Momochi. The greatest user of the **Silent Killing Jutsu **to ever come out of Kiri. It appears as though Kiri is regaining strength faster than anybody had believed they would."

"Describe the boy to me."

"From what I was able to see, he had spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and three whisker marks on each cheek."

Slowly, the rage in the Sandaime Tsuchikage built to the blowing point. In a rare show of physical strength, Onoki picked up his desk and threw it at a nearby wall, smashing the very large desk to pieces and shocking the Anbu.

"My spies in Konoha have recently discovered that the boy they sent to Kiri for an alliance was not only the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, but he was the son of _that man._"

The Anbu's eyes went wide.

"_That man. _As in the _Yellow Flash_?"

"_Hai._"

"Assemble the Shinobi Council. They must hear of this."

*Elsewhere

"Hmm, Sasori's poison seemed to work…Unfortunately, the plan failed. It was a good one to."

"Hai Pein-sama, had the Kyubbi Jinchuuriki not gotten exposed to such a small amount, we would have the Kyubbi and Nibi, now."

"To bad, if the plan worked, we could probably get the other villages to beg us to take their Jinchuuriki."

In Kiri

The next few weeks were nothing but low-rank bandit assassination missions.

It was upon returning from one of these missions, that Mei showed real concern.

"Take a seat you four."

When Team Swordsmen and Mei spoke, she was usually her happy, carefree self. This time she was in full Mizukage-mode.

They immediately obeyed.

"Now, this was originally supposed to be a surprise, but you three were chosen as the only team from Kiri to travel to Konoha and participate in the Chunin Exams."

All three appeared very excited.

"But, there is an issue."

Everyone straightened up at that.

"Two days ago, Jiraiya paid me a visit."

Zabuza seemed to get angry at that.

'_Damn pervert better keep his hands and eyes to himself.'_

"He informed me, that Iwa not only knows of Naruto's heritage, but now they are planning to target him during the Chunin Exams. In order to target him, they need to target all of you. You need to remember, they won't be sending some green Genin. These are going to be experienced ninja masquerading as Genin. I will leave it up to you. If you wish to participate we will back you. If not, then we understand."

All three shared a determined nod.

"It is time the world remembered just why the Seven Swordsmen were feared."

Mei and Zabuza smiled proudly.

"Ok, you have two months until you leave. As you should be aware. The main element of Iwa, is earth. Water's weakness, you each have a way to deal with that. However, Naruto, your's is least effective. I would advise learning some Lightning Ninjutsu."

"Hai Mizukage-sama. I have been planning on it ever since I had Kubikiribocho cut in half. I would like to learn to channel lightning chakra through her."

Mei nodded.

"Unfortunately, the only reputable lightning user is no longer a Kiri shinobi. We do however, have several lightning Jutsu scrolls that you can learn to start."

"Hai, I will start with that and begin experimenting."

Mei nodded, giving Zabuza control of his team.

"Ok, in light of this new information, Team Swordsmen will be put on hold. For the next two months we will be training you three into the ground. Is that understood?"

"Hai Zabuza-sensei."

The next two months went quickly for the swordsmen. Naruto now knew two lightning Jutsu, his lack of affinity made them considerably more difficult to master, but he had them down to a level where they would be useful in combat.

He was able to channel Lightning chakra through his sword, but he learned that his lack of affinity for it would be a real problem. It forced him to hold a one-handed seal as he channeled chakra into the blade. Plus, he was unable to sharpen the chakra. It would merely shock anyone it touched. However, it would make it highly effective at cutting through Earth Jutsu.

Haku, had spent the time, increasing her reserves. As well as practicing her most powerful technique. **Ice Release: Divine Intervention**, it was basically a toned down version of the Yondaime Hokage's **Hiraishin**.

Chojuro spent his time increasing his chakra reserves even further, thus allowing him to use Hiramekarei, for a longer period of time.

Standing on the docks of Kiri are three nin. Who despite their young age and low rank, are three of the strongest ninja in Kiri.

"Ok, good luck you four. I will see you in a month and a half. I will be there for the final stage of the exams."

"Hai Mizukage-sama."

Zabuza looks to his students and gestures for them to board the boat. However, he stays.

"Bye Mei-chan. I will see you when you arrive."

Giving her a chaste kiss, he heads for the boat.

Mei whispers to his back.

"Bye Zabuza-kun."

So, Team Swordsmen make their way to Konoha, not knowing the adventures in store for them.

**Please review, I'm getting tons of hits but not as many reviews…**

**I would really like to know what you thought of the whole idea…mission to Kumo and what-not, it is the first arc I thought up completely…no cannon.**


	7. The Exams Begin and The Forest of Death

**I don't own Naruto**

**This here is part of my Re-write. I hope you enjoy the results.**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, it just flowed really well for me…**

**Chapter 7**

**Return to your home village and The Forest of Death**

Two days later and Team swordsmen are approaching the main gate to Konoha.

It seems as though all the foreign nins, unknowingly planned to arrive at the same time because there were six foreign teams in front of them.

The Kiri four are wearing their normal clothes, Naruto in a black sleeveless shirt with a white belt to hold Kubikiribocho, along with black and white camouflage pants.

Haku wore her pale blue battle kimono with her hair tied in a bun. Nuibari rested at the back of her waist. The handle and thread from Nuibari seemed to stick out to her right side, the thread seemed to move upon its own will.

Chojuro wore his blue sweater with his brown harness for Hiramekarei. He also had on white and black camouflage pants.

The Jonin from other villages wouldn't stop staring at the swords on the backs of the Kiri Genin with slight fear. The swords were rather famous. Not to mention, having 'The Demon of the Bloody Mist' as a sensei.

"How does it feel to be back, GakI?"

Naruto seemed to think.

"I don't know, on one hand I will be glad to see Iruka sensei, Sarutobi-sensei, and team 9, but these people have done a lot of wrong to me and I don't think I can forgive them."

Knowing his history, all three just accept it.

It doesn't take long to pass through the check-in station since it is Izumo at the gate and the life-long Chunin was a longtime fan of his pranks. He had even helped him out a few times when the villagers would get out of hand.

As they walk through the streets, it doesn't take long for the civilians to recognize him and start whispering. The whispering quickly turned to glaring. Naruto would have been fine, but one poor civilian made the mistake of glaring at Haku. The amount of KI in the air had some of the ninja panting. Needless to say, the man who had it focused on him was unconscious.

The whispering increased but further from him and his companions in fear of angering the 'demon'. He kept hearing something about 'the eyes of the devil'.

"Just imagine all the ass-kissing they're gonna do when they learn who your old man was."

Naruto gave a wicked smirk, something he picked up from Zabuza.

"That should be pretty fun, not to mention, embarrassing Konoha's Genin in the exams."

Zabuza and his teammates chuckled at that. They too, would enjoy beating Konoha's ninja.

Suddenly a green blur crashes into Naruto, giving him a hug. In an instant Haku and Chojuro hand their swords drawn ready to attack. At least until they heard the exuberant yell of the boy.

"NARUTO-KUN IT IS MOST YOUTHFUL TO SEE YOU AGAIN. IT IS GOOD TO SEE THAT YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH HAVE NOT DIMINISHED BY SUCH A WET COUNTRY AS KIRI!"

Naruto just chuckles while the others slowly back away from the green clad ninja.

"How's it going Lee? Where's your team."

It was then that Naruto smelled something he had smelled from Haku on several occasions... A woman's arousal, thanks to his training, his senses were far better than normal and he could smell it in the air.

It only took a second to notice the source. Standing behind him is Tenten, her head, whipping between his Kubikiribocho, Chojuro's Hiramekarei, Haku's Nuibari, and even Zabuza's Buster Sword. It was then that he noticed the blush on her face, the small wet spot on her pants, her hard nipples poking through her Chinese shirt, and her slight panting.

'_Only Tenten would be ready to orgasm at the sight of a sword.'_

"You haven't changed at all Tenten-chan."

"Uhhhh…"

Tenten finally comes back to earth, only to realize her predicament.

Her face turns red and she starts sputtering out excuses before saying that she has to be home and running off.

"Naruto-kun,"

Naruto's face pales at the sound of the sickly sweet voice of Haku, so sweet in fact that he knows he is in trouble. Six months of keeping Haku happy allowed him to easily figure out what the problem was.

"Tenten seems like a nice girl, how well do you know her? She sure seemed to like you."

When Naruto saw the smile on her face, his face became whiter than a piece of paper. It was her super sweet, innocent smile, even though it looked so sexy, it still scared him.

'_She has been learning more than Elemental Manipulation from Mizukage-sama, I'm scared.'_

"Y-you have it all wrong Haku-chan, she has a bit of a fetish for weapons. Her father is a weapon smith and she is a weapons specialist, I'm pretty sure she was just excited to see three of the seven swords. I promise we were never more than friends."

Haku's eyes seemed to bore into Naruto's. All the while, Naruto was sweating like a fountain.

'_I don't want to die!'_

"Please don't hurt me."

Haku couldn't stop the smile at how well she had him trained.

She had heard that most men weren't trained that well after ten years of marriage but she pulled it off in ten months, with Mei's guidance of course.

"Ok."

Naruto's face went from scared to shocked.

"Huh?"

"I believe you. Come on, let's go check into our hotel."

Naruto still looked unsure but followed his wife anyway.

The next day found the Kiri nin staying in their hotel room at the request of the Hokage. He feared that one of the more judgmental civilians would do something that could in turn jeopardize the alliance, something that neither group wanted.

Naruto decided to make use of his time. He sat, cross legged on the floor, Kubikiribocho across his lap, occasionally, blood would pool on the side of the blade before disappearing.

He could feel Kubikiribocho's excitement at the coming battles.

The three days were boring for the Kiri nin. They basically sat inside and played cards or practiced their silent killing by listening for rodents in the upper-class hotel. However, Naruto did introduce his wife to Sarutobi-sensei and Iruka-sensei when he went to get caught up. Both of whom thought she was perfect for him. Especially when she demonstrated her control over him, much to his embarrassment.

Naruto, Haku, and Chojuro are walking down the street towards the academy.

"Finally, I have been waiting for a fight."

Walking down the hall towards room 301, Team swordsman saw a gathering outside a room on the second floor.

"Wow Konoha nin are pathetic, they can't even see the Genjutsu, let alone the fact that they only went up two floors."

Naruto just smiled.

"Not all is as it seems."

His teammates turn a questioning look towards Naruto.

"Do those three look familiar?"

"Wait a minute…That's Lee, Tenten, and Neji."

"Yep, I can see Lee not seeing past the Genjutsu, possibly Tenten, but Neji has his Byakugan. That Genjutsu wouldn't work for a second. They want to be underestimated."

As the Kiri nin were discussing Team 9, they ignored the two black hair boys and the pink haired girl walk up to the Genjutsu.

"Drop the Genjutsu and let me pass."

"So, you think your big shit just because you saw through the illusion? You're still nowhere near ready for the exams. You would be lucky to come out alive."

"Tch, this is pathetic. That Genjutsu is nothing for me_._"

To accent his point, Sasuke activated his sharingan and starred the two Chunin down. They found it quite humorous.

"Ya, ya, your very scary. Just remember the dog that barks the loudest is the first to be put down."

Meanwhile, Chojuro was looking at the Uchiha like he was a cockroach.

"_Those _were your teammates?"

"Ya, he never did get it through his head that there were people stronger than him. During our Genin test, he charged Hatake Kakashi head on. He got so annihilated… I laughed my ass off."

The Kiri team had a good chuckle to that when Lee noticed Naruto.

"NARUTO-KUN IT IS MOST YOUTHFUL TO SEE YOU AGAIN."

Naruto, his team and Lee's team just sweat-dropped.

"Lee, I just saw you the day before yesterday."

"Uhhh, RIGHT. BUT… IT WAS A DAY WITHOUT YOUTH!"

"That's… nice. Well, we're going to head up now. See you."

Without waiting for a response, Naruto's team hurried away from Team Gai. Similar thoughts in all their heads.

'_Lee is alright, but too much of his antics and I think I might have nightmares.'_

Unfortunately, they don't get too far.

"So, the Idiot returns. I can't wait to put you in your place."

Naruto is about to continue to walk away when Haku speaks up.

"Didn't you pass out when you fought the Demon Brothers, two people that even back then, I could beat in a matter of seconds."

Sasuke saw red and was about to attack the Kiri team when a man wearing a Chunin vest walked up.

"If you are caught fighting outside of the exam you will be removed immediately. Doesn't matter who you are."

By the time the Chunin finished, the Kiri team was already at the stairs.

Neji deactivates his Byakugan and looks at his teammates.

"Naruto-san has gotten much stronger. I can say without a sliver of doubt that he has more chakra than Gai-sensei, probably more than Hokage-sama."

The eyes of everyone within hearing distance widened before passing it off as two teams working together to scare them. It was obvious they were friends.

When the Kiri team arrive at what they are sure is the right door, both Naruto and Chojuro turn to Haku, the person on their team with the best Genjutsu sensing abilities. Though it isn't great, it is better than either boy is capable of.

"This door is clear. This is the correct room."

"Good, this is getting boring. I wonder when the fighting will start."

As soon as the Kiri team walked into the room, all the occupants couldn't stop staring at them, or more specifically, their swords.

All with the same thoughts going through their heads.

'_So these are the ones sensei warned us to stay away from. They don't look so tough.'_

Only two teams had different thoughts. The first wore the headband of Iwa. They simply eyed Naruto with barely repressed glee, and an underlying determination. They knew that if they failed then Iwa wouldn't get revenge until they were ready for war and that was a long time away.

"So, that's our target?"

"Yeah, he looks exactly like the flash. I'm going to enjoy grinding him to dust. I can't wait to hear him scream."

The other was the Suna team who didn't seem to care.

As the Kiri team stood in a corner, they observed the other ninja.

The first thing all three of the Kiri ninja noticed was the only Iwa team. They were eyeing them like lambs.

'_You will die to repent for your father, Namikaze.'_

Immediately they began to analyze their enemy.

Haku notices the only female.

'_Blonde hair, modest clothes, keeps switching between glaring at the Aburame and Naruto-kun. If I remember correctly the Kamizuru Clan attempted an attack on Konoha and were decimated by the Aburame. It must be them.'_

Naruto is paying particular attention to a man that seems cool, calm, and collected.

'_Hmm, dirty blonde hair, green eyes. No distinguishing marks. I don't think he is part of a clan…'_

The man turns slightly and Naruto notices his hand.

'_Iwa's explosion corps, them and that psychotic ritual to get the mouths for the Explosion Release. This just might be fun.'_

Chojuro is able to identify the one he is eyeing immediately.

'_Grandson of the Sandaime Tsuchikage, named after his father. Only living person, outside of the current Tsuchikage to be capable of Dust Release. Very Dangerous._

It was then, that Haku noticed something outside of the Iwa nin.

"Hmm, the red head from Suna, He has the second highest chakra levels in this room and he is doing nothing to hide them. I can feel his chakra from here. It's close to yours Naruto-kun."

Naruto appeared in deep thought.

"Things are getting even more interesting."

This got Chojuro's attention.

"What do you mean?"

"The red head is a Jinchuuriki, seeing as he is from Suna, probably the Ichibi."

"How can you tell?"

"He smells like blood and sand, not to mention, the only other time I was able to hear Kyubbi's growling while not in my seal was when in Kumo and surrounded by their Jinch…"

Their conversation was interrupted when Naruto heard his name.

They noticed all the Konoha rookies standing near the entrance and talking, rather loudly to an older silver haired Konoha Genin.

"…ra of Suna, Rock Lee of Konoha, and Naruto Uzumaki of Kiri."

The silver haired nin replies.

"Oh, you know their names and village? That almost takes all the fun away. Oh Well, let's see. Gaara of Suna is Gaara no Subaku. I don't really have anything on his abilities since it is his first time competing. Their team has completed 34 C-rank, 14 B-rank and 2 A-rank. It says here that Gaara has never been injured…Ever, not during training or missions, never."

Everyone's, even the eavesdroppers' eyes went wide. All were thinking the same thing.

'_Never been injured? That's insane.'_

Seeming not to notice his audience's shock, the silver haired Genin continued.

"Let's see, Rock Lee of Konoha, hmm, says here that he in incapable of performing Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. However, it also says he is the second coming of Maito Gai, his sensei… Team includes Tenten Higurashi, a long ranged weapons specialist, and Neji Hyuuga, a Hyuuga Taijutsu specialist. Lets see, 96 D-rank, 58 C-rank and 4 B-rank missions."

Everyone calmed down considerably; he seemed to be strong, but not insanely so like Gaara.

"Lastly, we have Naruto Uzumaki of Kiri, wow, I have a lot of info on him, strange for a first-timer. He is formerly of Konoha but was a part of a blood alliance between the two villages and is married to Haku Momochi-Uzumaki, his teammate and adoptive daughter of Zabuza Momochi and the Mizukage. He specializes in Kenjutsu and water Ninjutsu. Kiri claims he is a Kenjutsu prodigy of the likes they had never seen. Current wielder of Kubikiribocho, sword that was given to Zabuza Momochi…Wait a minute, I recognize him!"

The silver haired Genin started rummaging through his bag.

"Ahh, here it is."

The Konoha Genin pulled out a tan book with the symbol of Iwa and the word 'Bingo' across the top. He quickly started flipping through pages before he stopped on one.

"Ah I knew there was something familiar about him. He is an B-rank ninja. Kiri's Phantom Blade…At least that is what Iwa decided to call him. He holds a record, the only Genin to ever be ranked higher than C-rank outside of war time. Apparently, he killed some big shot missing nin that was a member of their Anbu, there isn't much for details, just warning about his skill in the _Silent Killing Jutsu_. Kumo added a side note that he fought A, the Raikage and through clever tactics was able to draw blood."

The room containing nearly 100 Genin became dead silent…

That is until Kabuto decided to interrupt it.

"Oh yea, you probably want me to finish what I was saying."

Kabuto pulls his nin-info card back out and continues where he left off.

"He possesses chakra pools that would make most Kage green with envy. His team members are Haku Momochi-Uzumaki, specializes in Kenjutsu, ice Ninjutsu, and medical Ninjutsu, wields Nuibari. His other teammate is Chojuro, Kenjutsu specialist with some Ninjutsu. He wields Hiramekarei. Team missions are, 23 C-rank, 7 B-rank, and 2 A-rank. It also says that he went on a four month solo training trip with Zabuza Momochi. Apparently, Kiri is attempting to re-form the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

Now everyone had their eyes on Naruto, now understanding why their senseis told them to avoid fighting him. All of their thoughts similar.

'_He killed an Anbu level nin, and fought a Kage? I think we will stay away from him.'_

The attention only served to make Naruto mad. Haku's hand on his shoulder was the only thing that kept him from killing someone, specifically, a silver haired, glasses wearing Konoha Genin.

Everyone's staring was interrupted when a Konoha Jonin in a trench coat slammed the door open and sent out a large dosage of killer intent that really only effected the Konoha shinobi who had not had killer intent blasted at them every time they messed up a little.

"Shut up or leave maggots!"

Everyone shut up, though most were unaffected by his intent to kill, the fact that he could send them home before things even got started, did not leave a good taste in their mouths.

"Each member of your team will hand in your entry forms and receive a ticket and a test book, the ticket will have a seat number, you will go to your seat immediately. Your test book is closed, do not open it. Anyone who opens their books or talks, leaves."

Almost as soon as the scarred Jonin spoke, an Kusa ninja turned to his teammates with a smug expression on his face.

"Tch, that fool thinks he's scary."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a Chunin was in front of him.

"Congratulations, you get to go to your Jonin sensei and tell them that you didn't even make it _to _the first test, let alone pass the first test. Goodbye."

The Kusa nin was about to struggle but three Chunin quickly and efficiently restrained him and his team, and threw them from the room.

After the excitement, it took almost twenty minutes for everyone to get in a seat. During that time, nobody spoke.

When Naruto looked to his sides, he realized he was sitting between Hinata Hyuuga and blonde teammate of the Suna Jinchuuriki.

"Listen up maggots, no questions or you're gone. The test is ten questions long, there are only nine questions in your booklet, the last question will be given verbally. This test will be done by reduction. You will start with 10 points and any missed question will result in losing two points, when you get to zero, you fail, if one of your teammates fail you all fail."

"WHAT? That's not fair, why do we fail if our teammate does."

Ibiki just looked at the Inuzuka and sighed.

'_Hmm, I could kick them out, but if I keep sending people out here then the later rounds will be boring. Usually the stupid ones are stronger.'_

"Chunin are team leaders, you will learn that your team is only as strong as its weakest link. Now I will continue. There is NO cheating, if you are caught cheating you lose two points. Good luck, you have one hour, begin."

As soon as they were given the ok, everyone began reading the questions. They were all thinking the same thing.

'_I don't think Anbu could answer these.'_

It didn't take long for the brighter Genin to figure out that they needed to cheat.

Unfortunately for the blonde swordsmen he was having problems.

'_Well, it's official. Information gathering is a weak spot for me. I'm going to have to work on that. Now, how to cheat without getting caught…'_

For the next thirty five minutes, Naruto sat there, nervous and angry with himself. He began to discreetly check out how the others were cheating. He noticed everyone using bloodline limits or other things he couldn't.

'_Hmm, I don't have a talking dog or eyes that get all gross with veins everywhere.'_

Naruto shudders slightly when thinking about the Byakugan.(Sorry, I just think it looks kind of gross.)

'_Damn it, how can I cheat?'_

As if his prayers were answered, a mirror materializes on his desk, it is made of ice.

'_She formed mirrors to give me a clear view of someone's test. God I love her.'_

Naruto quickly copied the answers and the mirrors dissolved into water.

As soon as he finished a bell went off.

"Pencils down. The test is over. Now, there is something you need to know before I give you the last question. This question is nothing like the rest. If you fail then you will NEVER become a Chunin."

Over half of the Genin started to yell.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"THAT'S BULLSHIT!"

Ibiki silenced them with a blast of killer intent that made even Naruto and Gaara sweat a little.

Ibiki maintained the silence for a few seconds before releasing his killing intent and allowing the Genin to breathe easy.

"Each and every one of your village leaders is aware of the implications and has fully agreed with this test. Should you decide to take the last question, and you fail, you will NEVER become a Chunin. I would also like to add that you will NOT be able to cheat. Oh, don't think you got away with it before. We saw probably 80% of you."

Ibiki sighed when he saw everyone was confident that they weren't seen.

'_Hmm, I guess I need to rattle the cages.'_

"Perhaps an example is needed, Inuzuka, your dog spent the first half of the test looking around and yapping away to you, Hyuuga and Uchiha, you used your Doujutsu, Iwa nin, you used _**Earth Release: Earth Calling Jutsu **_to send vibrations through the ground to your allies. Redhead, do you honestly believe we didn't notice a floating eye. Puppet boy, really? You put a plant in our ranks, it was easy to figure it out, and your Genjutsu is second rate. Aburame, it was pretty easy to notice your bugs. Yamanaka, you were passed out for ten minutes. Hmm, anyone else? Now, if it was up to me, then each of you would fail, but we need someone to compete. However, those skills were enough for the first part but not this part, if we see it your gone."

Almost immediately a hand went up, ironically he was never called out.

As if the flood gate was opened, teams were leaving left and right.

When it seemed as though the last person left, Ibiki paused for dramatic effect.

"Well then, this is your last chance…"

Ibiki looks around and sees 24 determined teams.

'_Impressive'_

"Well then, the last question is…you pass."

Everyone who was leaning closer to better hear the question fell face first on to their desks.

Kiba Inuzuka was the first to recover.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean you pass."

The blonde Suna Kunoichi glared at the Jonin.

"Then what was the point of the test?"

"Information gathering. Bad information could lead to your end."

With that, he slowly removed his bandana and revealed his hideously scarred head.

Everyone had to grimace at the obviously painful treatment he had received.

Just as he was about to continue, a black ball burst through a window.

It turned out to be a banner, several kunai in the roof caused it to unroll.

Sexy and Single Anko Mitarashi Second Proctor

The females sweat-dropped while the males were on the verge of passing out from a nose bleed. There stood a gorgeous purple haired goddess in nothing but an open trench coat, short orange skirt and fishnet armor, leaving _nothing _to the imagination.

The only ones unaffected were Naruto, since Haku had taken up teasing him, on Mei's advice. This made him partially immune to teasing. Not to mention that his wife was in the room and if he was caught checking out the proctor than he would be on the couch. Also, Gaara who was too busy thinking about his next victim.

Anko's sexy smirk faltered slightly when she saw that the blonde haired Kiri nin wasn't effected by her.

'_We will just have to change that.'_

It was that moment that Anko made it her personal mission to get him all hot and bothered before walking away.

"All of your senseis should have the location to training ground 44, you have forty minutes to get there, if your late, you're done."

Without further delay, Anko jumped out a different, unbroken window.

The sound of the window being broken made Ibiki sweat-drop.

By the time Ibiki turned to the exam participants, all that was left was a dust cloud with some falling papers.

"I wonder if they want to hurry so they aren't late for the exam or if they just want to stare at Anko."

Several surrounding Chunin chuckled. They knew how alluring Anko was.

Naruto and his team were lucky. He was already well aware of the Forest of Death, he had used it for some secret training back when he lived in Konoha.

As Naruto and his team were waiting for the second proctor and the other participants, Naruto was telling them what he knew about the forest.

"If I remember correctly, it is about twenty miles from one end to the other and there is a large tower in the center. The animals that live here were affected by some researcher's twisted experiments. Originally they were going to exterminate the creatures but the start of the second war prevented it, they were eventually forced to close it off to the rest of the village. Now it is used for training and occasionally tests."

"So, the animals here will be more violent than most?"

They were interrupted by Anko's cackling.

"More violent is an understatement. I once saw a badger the size of a house eat a Genin, whole. It was glorious."

Anko's less than sane words seem to worry even the battle hardened Kiri nin.

However, it wasn't Anko's words that got to Haku, no it was the fact that the purple haired proctor was behind Naruto with her arms draped around his neck. She could clearly see she was pressing her sizable bust to his back.

It only made it worse that her own chest had yet to fully mature, it was definitely coming, but she was only 14.

It took every ounce of love he had for his manhood not to blush. He was sure that if he did, Haku would remove it for him.

"uhh…"

Anko's sexy smirk could be seen from a mile away. It didn't even falter when she was forced to move her head or have it impaled by several ice senbon.

"Ahhh, someone has a crush on their teammate."

Haku's angry glare would have killed most. Anko just thought it was funny.

"That is my husband you psychotic bitch."

Anko almost appeared to get offended.

Anko quickly turned Naruto around in her arms and glared at him.

"You were married?! I thought we shared something special…"

Tears formed at the corners of Anko's eyes before she busted out laughing.

"Hahahahahahaha I crack myself up sometimes."

The clearing of a throat caused Anko and the Kiri nin to look behind them.

Standing there was every Genin team that passed.

They all shared the same thought.

'_That chick is insane, hot, but insane.'_

Anko just continued like nothing happened.

"Ok, you will each be given a scroll, either heaven or earth…"

Team Swordsmen listened to the insane proctor's instructions and signed the waver without a second thought. They now stood in front of the large gate with a heaven scroll. They decided unanimously that Naruto would hold it.

All the while, Naruto was still trying to cheer up Haku.

Meanwhile with Team 7

"That is a very stupid idea, Dickless."

"I don't know about that Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke glared at his teammates. If one was to focus enough, desperation could be seen in his eyes.

"We are going after the Kiri team! Is that understood? I _need _to beat him… I _need _to know."

Sakura sighed dreamily while Sai just stared.

'_I truly don't understand emotions.'_

Back with Team Swordsman

BUZZZZZ

"Let's get wild."

Naruto and his team had been traveling for nearly an hour, when all three suddenly stopped dead.

In a tree about a hundred yards to the side, was a team. They were covered by a Genjutsu, but it was purely visual… that didn't stop the Kiri nin from hearing their breathing.

Naruto signaled to Haku and Chojuro to prepare the attack.

Naruto cast a light mist on the area, light enough to seem natural but thick enough to hinder sight.

Naruto landed silently and invisibly on the ground near the base of the tree that the ninja were hiding in.

Pulling Kubikiribocho from his back, Naruto got into his stance and, in a single slash, quickly chopped the tree they were hiding in down.

Immediately, the Genjutsu dropped and the ninjas' screaming could be heard until all went quiet.

Outside the Forest of Death

Right after hearing the scream, Anko couldn't help but smirk.

"They're starting early."

In a flash, an Anbu member that was assigned to patrol the nearby area appeared in front of her.

"Anko-san. We have discovered something you should see."

Anko followed while grumbling about how it was probably nothing.

About two miles from the Forest of Death, there was a cemetery. In the yard were the bodies of three Grass nin she specifically remembers watching enter the forest.

When she sees that the faces have been torn off, her face pales.

"I would know that Jutsu anywhere. _Orochimaru!_"

"Anbu, alert the Hokage that Orochimaru has invaded the exams for some reason."

Knowing the severity of the situation, the Anbu waste no time, leaving Anko alone.

'_So, after all this time you finally return. You aren't going to survive the night you traitorous bastard.'_

Anko quickly disappears into the forest.

Team swordsman was making their way towards the tower, unfortunately, they had two heaven scrolls.

"When we get to the tower, we can create a mist and attack any team that gets close until we find an earth scroll."

Both Haku and Chojuro agreed.

About an hour from the tower, Naruto began signaling his teammates.

'We're being followed.'

'Who?'

'Not sure, but whoever is following us, is also being followed by an extremely skilled tracker.'

'Haku, go say hello to our pursuers. I'll make sure the other one doesn't interrupt. Chojuro, you back us up.'

In an impressive display, Haku switched with an Ice Clone and Naruto switched with a Water Clone.

Separating, Haku proceeded to get into position to ambush the followers.

Several minutes later, they crossed her vision.

'_So, the Uchiha really has a problem with Naruto-kun.'_

With Team 7

"I don't know, Sasuke-kun. How can you be sure it was them?"

Sasuke gave his pink haired teammate an annoyed glare before relenting.

"They are the only ones in this exam with weapons big enough to cut down one of these trees in one swipe. Once I beat him, I'll be one step closer to my goal!"

Sai appears deep in thought.

'_I now, truly understand why Danzo-sama forces us to relinquish any emotion.'_

Sai and Sakura continue to follow the trail of what Sasuke believed to be Naruto's team.

"We have to speed up if we're going to…"

"**Ice Release: Thousand Flying Needles Jutsu**"

The moist air of the forest made it easy for Haku to create thousands of senbon.

They fly at Team 7.

Sakura dives behind a tree root she was near.

Sai performs his signature Jutsu.

"**Super Beast Imitation Jutsu**"

A giant snake is formed and wraps around Sai protecting him from the ice senbon.

Sasuke goes through several hand seals.

"**Fire Release: Grand Fireball Jutsu**"

He shoots a giant fireball, melting the senbon and clearing a path.

When Sasuke saw who it was, he glared.

"So, you realized we were following you."

Haku stared impassively.

'_His emotional state seems unstable. Best course of action would be to make him lose control and take out his team with hit and run tactics.'_

"It was quite simple. You are probably the loudest team in this forest."

Sasuke just glared harder, before giving a cocky smirk.

"I guess to get to the idiot I gotta get through you…should be easy."

With Naruto

'_This guy is insanely good…I can only hear him every once in a while, not enough to track him.'_

'_THERE!'_

Naruto was on top of his opponent so fast that he barely had time to dodge. With a swing of his sword, the branch the follower was on went crashing to the forest floor while Naruto flipped, and stuck to the next tree he got near.

"My, my. You are a strong one."

That was when Naruto saw his target.

"You're that Grass nin that got all up on the proctor."

'Naruto' flashed through a few hand seals at a speed that shocked the Grass nin. However, as the shout came from right next to him, the 'Naruto' in front of him turned to water.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu**"

The Water Dragon was to close for him to do anything but brace for impact. The Grass nin was picked up by the dragon, and it ran the nin through several trees before finally dispersing.

When the water was gone, what Naruto saw disgusted him.

There stood the Grass nin, but her face was falling off.

"What are you?"

The now, unidentified ninja gave a mock offended look, before it turned to one of glee.

"Me? I'm an Immortal."

Suddenly, the nin moved.

Before Naruto was able to register what was happening, a severe pain occurred in his stomach.

Looking down, he was shocked to see two of the nin's fingers deep between two of his ribs, the pain was worse than anything he had ever felt.

"Snake Style of Taijutsu is truly devastating, is it not?"

With some quick thinking, Naruto reared his head back and slammed it into the unnamed nin's jaw, the force sent him skidding back.

Now, the face that had been falling off. Was now completely gone.

No longer was his face a mildly attractive Grass Kunoichi. It became a pale face with yellow snake-like eyes that Naruto recognized immediately.

"**Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu**. Chojuro, let's go. This just got hard."

As if he was there the whole time, Chojuro materialized next to Naruto, sword drawn. He did look slightly fearful.

"Naruto, that is Orochimaru of the Sannin, isn't it."

"Yea…"

Orochimaru was having other thoughts.

'_I must be quick with these two. I only have a small window before the bodies are discovered and they send Anbu after me.'_

The two Kiri Genin were trying to come up with a plan, when suddenly Orochimaru appeared in front of them.

In one swift motion, he drew the Kusanagi and attempted to behead them both. However, Naruto blocked and Chojuro created his chakra hammer, slamming it into the Sennin.

With Haku.

Lying on her back, her body riddled with senbon was Sakura, next to her was a just as injured Sai, his tanto shattered.

The only one from Team 7, still standing was Sasuke, and that was just barely.

"How are you so strong? WHY CAN'T I KILL YOU? **FIRE RELEASE: GRAND FIREBALL JUTSU!**"

A large fireball was sent at Haku. Haku merely evaded the attack before disappearing in a blur. The next thing Sasuke knew, a single senbon impacted the back of his neck. At that point, all he knew was black.

She picked him up and put him with his teammates. She easily found their scroll, which luckily was an earth scroll before listening for Naruto's battle.

With Naruto and Chojuro

Chojuro was unable to do anything as the S-ranked ninja continued to rain, blow after blow down on him.

Orochimaru finally finished with a heel drop to the Kiri nin's head, it would have sent him crashing 100 feet to the earth, probably killing him if Naruto hadn't intervened. Several kunai flying, sticking into the boy's shirt, pinning him to a tree. The blonde wasted no time in grabbing the blue haired boy from the tree, inspecting his wounds.

When Naruto looked down at the blue haired teen, he winced.

"Looks like he is out of the fight."

Laying Chojuro under a tree-root, Naruto pulled his sword from his back with his left arm, the only arm he could use right now.

When he looked around, Naruto was unable to find the Snake summoner. He could however, sense nearly a dozen ninja closing in on his position.

Knowing the danger if they were to get attacked right now, Naruto barely managed to pick up Chojuro and both of their swords and make it to a tree, several hundred yards away.

With Haku

When she saw the condition of her husband, she was about to rush to him and make sure he was ok. However, time spent with Mei, allowed her to think rationally.

'_There are about a dozen incoming nin. Naruto and Chojuro are too weak to hide their presence. If I'm with them and they are found, I am no use. However, I can guard them from elsewhere using surprise.'_

Haku took up a tree that had a good line of sight to Naruto and everything around him.

When the first ninja was just about at the clearing, Haku drew several senbon.

Just as she was about to throw them, she stopped.

'_Konoha Anbu?'_

The Anbu began speaking into his radio.

"Sir, I believe I found the location of the battle, but nobody is here. The battle appears to have been a large one…Hold on, I sense something."

The Anbu quietly made his way towards Naruto, and Haku tightened her grip on the senbon, preparing to send them flying.

However, when the Anbu was about fifteen feet from Naruto. A scream sounded through the forest.

Haku couldn't help but think.

'_That sounded like the Uchiha.'_

The Anbu stopped to listen to his radio before responding.

"Understood sir, I'll check it out."

The Anbu took to the trees and Haku landed next to Naruto and Chojuro.

When Naruto saw that Haku was ok, he was very relieved. The two shared a quick kiss before assessing the situation.

"Naruto, we need to find cover. Can you run?"

Naruto tested his legs a little and nodded.

"I should be ok, but not for too long."

Haku put Chojuro on her back while Naruto carried both swords.

They made it about one mile until Naruto passed out.

Haku managed to carry both Naruto and Chojuro, with their swords to a nearby cave and allow them to rest.

It was a day and a half until Chojuro woke up and was combat ready, he was still nursing his wounds, but he would be able to stop most Genin. As soon as he was, Haku went in to rest up as well.

As Chojuro sat, waiting for his teammates to wake up, he couldn't help but remember the fight.

"We actually hurt an S-rank ninja."

*Flashback

When Chojuro's hammer hit the Sennin. He turned to mud.

"**Wind Release: Wind Bullet Barrage Jutsu**"

Both Kiri nin were forced to dodge dozens of wind bullets.

When they finally stopped, they saw that Orochimaru had jumped from the tree and would land right next to them.

Locking eyes with Naruto for a second, both agreeing to the same, unspoken plan.

Chojuro created a water clone as discreetly as possible and switched with it.

Luckily for them, the Sennin's attention was more on the stronger of the two, Naruto.

The Snake summoner, drew his legendary sword and once again, the two legends met. Kubikiribocho of Kiri vs. Kusanagi of legend.

The force of the Snake Sennin's strike forced the ground under the Kiri Genin's feet to buckle.

When the dust cleared, Orochimaru could be seen, above Naruto, who was forced to brace his sword with his left hand, had fallen to a knee.

They were both in a crater that was about five feet round but went down nearly ten feet.

Orochimaru seemed shocked that the _Genin _was able to block his first full powered strike of the fight.

And his shock cost him.

"**Hiramekarei: Unleash**"

Before he could even react, Orochimaru was sent flying through several dozen trees.

When he finally got up, you could see the damage caused.

He had blood pooling from his mouth and his arm was bent in a way that it never should.

The glare that the Snake Sennin sent there way told them everything they needed to know.

"I'm done playing around."

After that, Orochimaru spit out a new body and began to beat them to the ground, they never got in another hit.

*End Flashback

Chojuro shook his head of those thoughts. Nobody wants to remember nearly dying.

Chojuro heard some movement coming from inside their temporary home, taking a peek to make sure everything was ok. He saw Naruto sliding out of Haku's grip, careful not to disturb her.

Both took seats near the cooked fish that Chojuro had laid out.

Chojuro broke the silence.

"That was insane…We almost died."

Naruto just seemed to glare at the ground.

"I know."

Both Chojuro and Naruto spoke at the same time.

"I need to get stronger!"

Both Naruto and Chojuro locked eyes.

Both filled with fiery determination. They would get stronger. They would never allow themselves to be out-classed like that again.

Chojuro spoke up next.

"Well, we should wake up Haku, it is nearly noon and this stage ends tonight."

Naruto nodded and woke Haku up. She was so happy to see he was ok, she didn't even mind being woken up before she was ready.

The trip to the tower was quick and uneventful.

"I guess by now, most teams have been beaten or are already done."

When they entered the tower, they quickly discovered that the scrolls were in fact summoning scrolls. They quickly tossed them and in a poof of smoke, Iruka appeared.

Iruka was shocked.

'_I figured they would have been done by now. I wonder what could have caused them this much trouble. When Naruto graduated he could have beaten most Chunin.'_

Iruka explained the meaning behind the tablet. He also told them that they had about nine hours to rest, something they were very thankful for.

Immediately after being shown a room with three beds, Haku and Naruto crawled onto one, with Chojuro on another.

They were all asleep before their heads hit the pillow.

Nine and a half hours later.

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, YOU IDIOTS?"

The angry voice of Zabuza woke all three of them up; when they saw the time they paled and ran out of the room as fast as possible.

Arena

Thirty minutes late, three blurs ran into the room. Those with keener eyes could see the fear etched onto their faces.

They looked like they were running from the hounds of hell.

The hallway they ran out of, a furious looking Zabuza came next.

Team Swordsman were panting, they had never seen Zabuza so angry before.

Up on the balcony, the other Jonin seemed to find it funny. At least until Zabuza turned his glare on them.

When Zabuza arrived, he noticed that Kakashi wasn't there.

Walking up to the man he knew as Yamato from Wave.

"So, where's Kakashi?"

Yamato shook his head sadly, as did Gai.

"Kakashi returned to Anbu. He was seen as unfit to be a Jonin sensei."

Zabuza nodded, having been told about Kakashi's lack of teaching skills from Naruto.

Down in the arena there were 8 teams all together.

1 from Iwa, 1 from Suna, 1 from Kiri, 1 from Sound, and 4 from Konoha. (Kabuto's team isn't there)

"I would like to congratulate you all on making it this far. Unfortunately for some, this will be the end."

"WHAT?!"

Of course it was an Inuzuka…

"You see, the actual third phase won't start for one month. But we must have a preliminary match."

Some Genin yelled, others whined. However, the Kiri, Iwa and Suna team just waited.

"You see, these exams are actually a replacement for war. Allowing each country to showcase its talent through one-on-one battles. These take place for villages to literally _show-off _for the nobles. Thus, the village with the most impressive Genin, would most likely have the highest increase in missions."

All the Genin were quiet now.

"Now, as for the preliminary-"

"Allow me *cough* Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi looked at Hayate with a smile.

"Ahh, yes. Go ahead Hayate."

"These will be single round *cough*elimination. Killing is allowed but not encouraged. Your names *cough* will be randomly chosen for each *cough* round."

The screen behind him cycles through the names before stopping on two.

"The first match of the *cough* preliminaries are, Sasuke of Konoha vs. Choji of Konoha. Everyone else please head up to the viewing *cough* platform."

And so, who will make it to the finals?

Find out next time on…Dragon Ball Z…Haha, I crack myself up.

**I redid it, I'm trying to find the right balance for Sasuke. I want to portray him as strong for his age but not ridiculously so, however I also want to get across that his mental stability is lacking. Let me know how I do.**


	8. Preliminaries and a Month to Prepare

**I don't own Naruto**

**Anyways, if you hate the changes let me know, I saved the old ones.**

Chapter 8

The Preliminaries and a Month to Prepare

As Sasuke made his way to the center of the ring, he was actually nervous.

'_Gah, every time I try and use my chakra. This stupid thing starts to act up. Yamato-sensei said I will be kicked out of the exams if I use it.'_

Sasuke couldn't help but glance at the Sound Team with a smirk, the memory of the power it gave igniting a fire in his veins.

Meanwhile, Choji is shaking.

'_Oh, man. He was ruthless against those sound nin. What am I going to do?'_

Seeing his student's fear, Asuma decided to try and pump him up.

"Hey Choji, if you win, I'll buy all you can eat BBQ for a week."

Choji's eyes lit up with determination and glee.

"Begin"

Sasuke jumped back to get some distance. He knew that while Choji may be slow, he was very strong.

Meanwhile, Choji wasn't playing, BBQ was on the line.

"**Secret Art: Human Bullet Tank**"

Choji quickly turned into a large ball and began charging Sasuke far faster than Sasuke was expecting. All the while, repeating the same thing, over and over again…

"Roll roll roll roll roll…"

When Sasuke jumped over Choji, he attempted to get him by throwing several shuriken. They just bounced off the rapidly spinning boy. Choji slammed into the wall before rebounding and heading back towards the raven haired boy.

After nearly a dozen more attempts and misses, Sasuke finally comes up with an idea.

Grabbing the rest of his shuriken and kunai, Sasuke ties some ninja wire to all of them.

Sasuke jumps over Choji one more time, before throwing the kunai and shuriken all over the room, creating a literal web of wire. Choji was quickly and efficiently tangled.

Having no choice, Choji drops his expansion and slipped out from the wire, landing on the ground with a huff. Just as he is about to give-up, Sasuke closes the distance between them.

"**Lion's Barrage!**"

Sasuke kicks Choji under the chin, causing him to fly through the air. Sasuke was able to land dozens of blows as they were nearing the ground. For good measure, Sasuke performed a heel drop to the large Genin's face, effectively knocking Choji unconscious.

"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha."

Before Sasuke can even make it to the stairs, Yamato appears next to him and Shunshins him from the room.

The Jonin can't help but be impressed by the match.

"Ok, the next match is Kutsuchi of Iwa and Zaku of Oto."

It doesn't take long for the two to arrive at the center of the ring.

Hayate looks at each of them before nodding.

"Begin"

Zaku looks at the Iwa nin with a cocky smirk before pulling both his arms out of the slings.

"You don't stand a chance."

The brown haired Iwa nin just raised an eyebrow before flashing through several hand seals that only the Hokage recognized.

"**Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Jutsu**"

Before Zaku knew what was happening, he was trapped in a cube, with a strange light in the center.

"What the hell is this!? Ha! Let's see how it handles… **Extreme Decapitating Airwaves!**"

Zaku's hands pointed forward, revealing small holes in his hands, he was about to use his most powerful Jutsu to escape. However, his opponent's voice cut him off.

"Sorry."

That was the last thing he heard as the light in the center exploded and there was nothing left, as he was turned to dust.

Nobody noticed but the Sound Jonin was leaning against the rail, nearly salivating.

Kutsuchi just gave a pointed look at Naruto before heading up the stairs to the balcony.

All of the Genin were shocked at the Iwa nin's power. The Jonin weren't much better.

Hayate was the first to recover from his shock.

"W-winner is… Kutsuchi of Iwa."

In an attempt to break everyone from the last battle, Hayate indicated for the board to go through the names again. He nodded when he saw the names.

"Our next match will be Rock Lee of Konoha vs. Gaara Subaku of Suna."

_**CANNON**_

Gai watched his student be carried from the arena with a sad smile on his face.

'_You did it Lee, but I'm afraid this may be the end for you. At least if that medic knew what she was talking about.'_

Gai turned from the now, empty doorway to Naruto. The only Genin, to defend Lee from Gaara.

Hayate broke Gai from his musings.

"Gai we still have quite a few matches. Could you please vacate the arena?"

Gai just smiled sheepishly.

"Uhh, right."

"Our next match is Hinata of Konoha vs. Neji of Konoha."

When Neji was walking down, Naruto grabbed his arm and gave him a pointed look.

Neji nodded.

"I got my anger under control a long time ago."

Naruto nodded and let Neji go.

As Neji walked down, Naruto heard Neji's whisper and can't help but chuckle slightly.

"That doesn't mean I can't embarrass the main branch a bit."

_**CANNON: Kiba yelled instead of Naruto and Neji didn't try and kill her.**_

When Neji arrived at the top of the stares. He noticed Hiashi, his uncle and Hinata's father give a nod of respect to him.

'_I beat his daughter, I beat the Heiress. Why would he do that?'_

Neji ended his musings just in time to hear the next match up.

"-Dydara of Iwa vs. Haku of Kiri"

Nearly everyone noticed Naruto tense up when they called the names. They also noticed Dydara give Naruto a cruel smirk.

When the two were in position, Hayate wasted no time.

"Begin"

Both Haku and Dydara jumped back to get some distance.

Haku waved her hand through the air, and to the other nin's surprise, water appeared before freezing and forming a dozen senbon.

The genin in the stands were shocked. It was Ino that spoke.

"I thought only the Nindaime Hokage could draw water from the air like that!"

Seeing as it was his student, Asuma explained.

"Nah, that girl there is Haku Yuki, I believe she is last living member of Kiri's Yuki clan. They were rather famous for their incredibly powerful water affinity combined with their weaker wind affinity. It didn't take long for the clan to begin making ice."

Back on the floor

Haku let the senbon fly, each aimed for a kill point.

However, he easily dodged them all.

"You didn't think it would be that easy did you?"

"Of course not, did you?"

With a single hand seal, a giant spear of ice rose from the ground and impaled nothing. Haku turned around and watched as blood ran down the spear.

Slowly, the Dydara she was talking to, melted into mud. Soon, another appeared. However, this one was impaled on the ice spear.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing you, bitch."

With a grunt, the Iwa nin jumped back, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Haku merely analyzed the situation.

'_With his rapid blood-loss, he should be unconscious within 10 minutes.'_

Dydara sticks his hands into the pouches on his sides.

"**Secret Art: Explosive Clay C1**"

The mouths on Dydara's hands begin to spit out different clay animals, each about the size of his fist.

As each gets close to her, they explode, much to the Konoha Genin's shock.

Haku was almost instantly put on the defensive, unable to get close to him.

After only a few minutes of dodging the explosives and trying to retaliate. A large snake wraps around her arm.

As soon as Naruto sees this, he fears for her life.

**BOOM**

"HAKU!"

Naruto breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the now; one armed Haku is made of Ice.

"I didn't think I would have to use this in the preliminaries, let alone at all, but you being a long ranged fighter makes Kenjutsu difficult, combined with the number of explosions makes my speed less helpful. **Ice Release: Divine Intervention Jutsu**"

Just like that, the Genjutsu covering the patches of water on the ground was lifted. In their places are a dozen ice mirrors.

"Your village may be famous for a lot of things. However, it is most known for being decimated by the Yondaime Hokage, the Yellow Flash."

Dydara's anger nearly reached its peak.

"Let me show you a Jutsu I created and based off of that."

Without another word, Haku stepped onto a mirror and instantly sunk into it. The second she was gone, she quickly emerged out of the mirror right in front of the Iwa nin. This scored her a brutal upper cut to his chin.

Following him up, she reached back and grabbed the hilt of Nuibari.

Dydara's eyes widened when he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, looking down, he saw a thin wire sitting in his stomach.

"What the?"

Before he could react, he saw Haku hit the ground, sinking into another mirror, his explosive animals on her heels.

Haku wasted no time, emerging from the opposite end of the room, and launched a dozen ice senbon into his unprotected back.

Dydara could only scream as his right arm lost all motion.

"D-damn this bitch!"

Up in the stands Chojuro was confused and Naruto was slightly angry.

"Naruto, why doesn't she finish it? She could have won already."

Naruto's scowl got worse.

It was Zabuza that answered for him.

"She wants to send a message to Iwa, that should anyone go after Naruto, they will relive the Yellow Flash through her…This is her way of protecting Naruto."

Pride and concern were both present in Zabuza's voice.

Even her own team was shocked when the girl got her fourth stab and yanked on the wire, the wire began to dig into his side and stomach, drawing a small amount of blood. However, Dydara getting fed up with her attacking.

"**Secret Art: Explosive Clay C2**"

The mouths began to produce more, larger animals and Haku was having difficulty maintaining her mirrors.

'_Damn, they are exploding with such force it is breaking my mirrors. I should have ended it on that last attack. It is taking a lot of chakra to continue to repair them.'_

"Hahahahahahahaha. I finally figured it out."

Haku appeared curious but cautious.

Dydara sent several small animals towards Haku, but she merely sunk into the mirror she was on. That was when the Iwa nin put his plan into action.

Instantly, a rather large animal was on each mirror. They didn't delay before exploding.

Dydara started laughing when a bruised and bloody Haku fell out of a mirror hidden on the roof.

"I should have known you were too smart for that. No worries I'll finish you now."

"No, you won't"

Dydara's eyes widen.

'_I didn't even sense him move.'_

Dydara looked down and saw Kubikiribocho, prepared to remove his head.

When he glanced over, he saw Haku was no longer there but in Chojuro's arms on her way to the medics.

Dydara just scoffed and headed over towards the balcony, ignoring the medic telling him he needs to be treated. However, his tough act didn't last long when he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Naruto was about to make his way to the medic area. But Zabuza grabbed his shoulder and led him to the balcony.

"She will be fine and you know it…She would kill you, then me, if I let you miss your match to be with her when she was asleep."

That helped Naruto calm down, she really would kill him.

Meanwhile, the Jonin and other Genin were all thinking the same thing.

'_He is good, really good.'_

It took twenty minutes for several earth users to come and repair the arena from the explosions, normally, they would just fight on the broken ground, but this was too much.

When they were done, Hayate just made is way to the center once again.

Meanwhile, the Jonin, and Hokage are all thinking the same thing.

'_This year's batch of Genin is incredible.'_

"Our next match is Suzumebachi of Iwa and Shino of Konoha."

(A.N. I had a lot of trouble writing a match between Shino and Suzumebachi. I hated this match but I just couldn't get it right. My advice would be come up with it in your head…)

All of the Jonin were interested in this match. They knew of the history between the clans.

When the Genin asked the question, Asuma took it upon himself to answer it.

"At one point in time, the Kamizuru clan was probably the largest and most powerful clan in Iwa. However, at the beginning of the Third Shinobi War, on orders from the Sandaime Tsuchikage, they were ordered to attempt to invade Konoha. They were supposed to clear the way for the rest of Iwa's shinobi to have an easy win. It probably would have worked if not for the Aburame Clan. Because of them, the Kamizuru clan never even made it to Konoha."

Everyone was in shock.

"Wow. The Aburame Clan is that strong?"

Asuma nodded.

"They can be."

He simply gestured down to the ring where the Bee user was glaring at the Aburame who stared impassively.

As though they materialized out of thin air. Dozens of large wasp-like bees were in the room.

"I didn't come here for you, Aburame, but I will take pleasure in this. **Secret Art: Thousand Bee Stings Jutsu**"

Each bee began firing senbon like stingers at Shino. Even though Kiba, his teammate was shouting for him to move, he never bothered.

In front of everyone's eyes. Shino became a human pincushion.

Everyone's eyes went wide.

That was until 'Shino' dissolved into several hundred kikaichu.

The kikaichu beetles began attacking the bees. The size of the chakra sucking bugs made them a difficult target for the larger bugs.

As Suzumebachi watches her bees get overtaken by the much smaller insects. She spreads out her senses, looking for the Konoha, bug wielder.

Suddenly, a voice speaks, as if it was in her head.

"Maybe I never left."

The ground around her feet shifts suddenly.

Before incasing her in a sphere of kikaichu.

'_He hid them with Genjutsu!'_

(A.N. I always thought Shino should have learnt a few Genjutsu from Kurenai…)

She is able to feel her chakra leaving her, before she passed out.

Everyone was rather disappointed with the fight.

Kutsuchi's voice could be heard in the background.

"And, _that _is why their clan has fallen so far."

After the medics took the Iwa nin away, Hayate called out for the next match.

"Temari of Suna vs. Tenten of Konoha"

_**CANNON**_

Temari was having a difficult time shaking off the glare and killing intent that was radiating from the blond haired Kiri nin, the look in his eyes promised retribution, she couldn't help but shudder.

"Winner, is Temari of Suna. Next match is Sakura of Konoha vs. Ino of Konoha"

_**CANNON**_

It was easy to see the disappointment on Asuma's and the newly returned Yamato's faces. Everyone can sympathize with them with one simple word.

"Fangirls."

"Our next match will be Chojuro of Kiri vs. Sai of Konoha"

Naruto gave Chojuro a pat on the back as he headed down the stairs.

Sai stood across from Chojuro with a creepy, fake smile on his face.

"Good luck Dickless."

Two seconds later, two sources of bellowing laughter could be heard from the balcony. They just so happened to be Chojuro's sensei and teammate.

Chojuro glared at them before returning his attention to the fight.

'_Assholes.'_

It was Chojuro's turn to taunt.

"Well, I won't even bother with this…"

Chojuro pulled the large sword from his back and stabbed it into the ground; it caused nearly the entire room to shake.

"Haku was able to beat you and your whole team. Not to mention that in direct combat, she is the weakest one on my team."

As if to accent his point, Chojuro disappeared from everyone's except the Jonin's and a few of the more speed, oriented Genin's eyes.

Immediately afterwards, Sai was sent sailing into the wall, denting it in the process.

When the dust cleared, Chojuro was back in his original spot while Sai was attempting to pick himself off the ground.

"I hope that isn't all you have. Your master must be a pathetic old fool."

That's right, Team Swordsman knew exactly who Sai was. The Hokage was sure to warn them. Sarutobi was worried because Danzo is still upset that he gave the Kyuubi to Kiri.

For the first time since he could remember, Sai felt an emotion. He wanted to make this ninja pay. He didn't just want to win because it was his orders. No, he wanted to defend his master.

Even though he was slightly confused by his new-found emotions, Sai quickly began drawing.

"**Super Beast Imitation Jutsu**"

Three large lions appeared and charged the Kiri nin.

Chojuro lazily shot a seal-less Water Bullet Jutsu at each lion, quickly turning them back to ink.

However, it turned out to be a diversion as Sai finished several hand seals.

"**Ink Drizzle**"

The ink from the lions formed small bullets and shot towards the unsuspecting Chojuro who was forced to grab his sword and use it as a shield.

Using the fact that he was unseen, Sai drew a single kunai in one hand and several shuriken in the other and charged.(Haku broke his tanto)

Jumping clear over the sword, he threw the shuriken down, towards Chojuro who was forced to flip back, away from his sword.

And _that _is what Sai wanted.

Jumping from his place on the wall, Sai attacked Chojuro with the kunai. Unable to reach his sword and still empty on kunai from the fight with the Snake Sennin, Chojuro was forced to dodge.

Chojuro ducked under a swipe that would have slit his throat and managed to land a dazing hit to Sai's head.

That gave him the few seconds he needed to form a few hand seals.

"**Water Release: Water Shuriken Jutsu**"

The little bit of water still on the ground from Haku's fight, quickly formed half a dozen shuriken, each in Chojuro's hand.

He let them fly…

Sai was not one of Danzo's strongest for nothing.

He blocked each shuriken with the kunai. They fell to the ground before returning to water.

Chojuro was forced to block a round kick. However, his many spars with Naruto had greatly increased his Taijutsu.

Without delay, Chojuro landed a devastating punch to the Konoha nin's ribs. However, he simply turned to ink.

"**Super Beast Imitation Jutsu**"

A single giant spider appeared, almost immediately, it began to shoot webbing at him.

"You will never win if you are truly this pathetic."

Sai forgot any tactics and charged Chojuro like a madman.

'_He seems to be having trouble controlling his emotions…'_

Without delay, Chojuro grabbed Hiramekarei and channeled chakra through it, surprising everyone who had never seen the legendary sword in battle.

Before Sai could blink, the hammer was upon him, sending him flying through his spider and into the wall and unconscious.

"Winner, Chojuro of Kiri."

Hayate seemed to be having some trouble with his cough, but he got it under control. The medics took Sai from the room and into the ward.

"Our next match is Kankorou of Suna vs. Dosu of Oto"

Just as Kankorou was about to make his way down the stairs, Temari stopped him.

"Abandon your plan, it won't work on him. He doesn't need to hit you to hurt you. When he hits Crow, you will be affected too. Make sure you're at least 10 yards away when he swings."

Kankorou nodded his thanks before getting to the center of the room.

"Begin."

Dosu charged at Kankorou but 'Kankorou' opened his mouth and shot a dozen, poisoned senbon at Dosu. That was when Dosu realized the pack on the back of the puppet was gone.

Flicking the side of his gauntlet, Dosu quickly found the Suna puppeteer, not that it did any good because Crow was right behind him. Before the Sound Genin could do anything, the puppet grabbed him in a bear hug before six small blades pierced his torso, killing him instantly.

"Winner Kankorou of Suna. Seems like the entire Suna team is going... Anyways, the next match is Shikamaru of Konoha vs. Kin of Oto."

_**CANNON**_

"This brings us to the last match. Naruto of Kiri vs. Kiba of Konoha."

Naruto made his way down to the arena. Kiba, was slowly making his way down. However, on his face, wasn't some misplaced, cocky smirk but a face of determination.

'_Perhaps he has grown up. Let's see how much.'_

"We both know, that all I need to do is create a mist, and you become nothing more than a lost puppy. Why don't you forfeit?"

Kiba's look of determination, changed to a glare.

"You may have been able to beat me when we were in the academy, but things have changed!"

Naruto just raised an eyebrow before shrugging.

Hayate had been forced to wait for them each to acknowledge that they were ready.

"Begin"

Similar to their match eighteen months earlier, Kiba flashed through several hand seals, this time with a few more.

"**Secret Art: Four Legs Jutsu**"

"**Secret Art: Man-Beast Clone**"

Akamaru jumped on Kiba's head before transforming into another version of the animalistic boy.

"I WON'T LOSE TO YOU AGAIN!"

The Kiba that spoke, immediately charged in for an elbow to Naruto's chest.

Naruto was forced to acknowledge that Kiba had gotten faster.

Everyone was quite shocked that yet another Genin was traveling at near-Jonin speeds.

However, that wasn't the shocking part. When Kiba's elbow connected, the resulting shockwave actually cracked the floor.

However, nobody cared about that. There stood Naruto, Kiba's elbow in his hand.

"That stung, my hand is a little numb."

Kiba's as well as everyone else's mouths dropped. It was quite the comical sight.

While Kiba was still trying to understand what had happened, Naruto's foot connected with his head. This sent him flying towards the wall. He would have hit too, if not for the other Kiba catching him.

While Kiba tried to get his bearings back, Akamaru was using quick in and out claw strikes to try and wear Naruto down. Unfortunately for the dog, the large sword makes an effective shield as well.

The others in the room, certainly weren't enjoying to screeching.

Suddenly, a still slightly wobbling Kiba yells out his next attack.

"**Tsuga!**"

Kiba flies towards Naruto like a drill. The attack's speed surprises Naruto, preventing him from dodging.

His only choice, to block.

Nobody knew what would happen when Kiba's spinning form met the flat side of the giant sword.

**SCREEEEEECH**

A piercing screech could be heard throughout the Forest of Death as Naruto's sword took the brunt of the Inuzuka's attack.

After Kiba had lost momentum, Naruto was able to push him off.

Everyone looked at the sword to see the damage it had been dealt. To their surprise, there was only a few light scratches.

Zabuza just smirked proudly.

"That is Kiri's weapons for you."

Most of the Jonin just nodded. Kiri was in fact the home to the greatest weapon makers and users of all time.

Meanwhile, Kiba was shocked.

'_He just blocked my __**Tsuga**__. The only other thing I can do is __**Gatsuga**__. Let's see what happens. There is no way he can block both of us.'_

Locking eyes with Akamaru, they both knew the plan. They slowly began to circle him like predators stocking their prey.

Suddenly, a look flashed through the eyes of Kiba in front of him before both, Kibas began spinning like a drill.

Naruto barely dodged the first attack. However, he was unable to completely dodge the second and received a small gash on his arm.

Looking at the blood dripping from his arm, Naruto sighed.

'_I guess it's time to get serious.'_

Knowing he would be unable to block both, Naruto tried to cut one of the tornados in half, that didn't work out as the force of the spin ripped the sword from his hand and threw it into the wall, sinking it two feet through the concrete. This also had the effect of breaking his wrist, not that I wouldn't be healed in an hour.

Naruto dodged one of the mini-tornados before flashing through several one hand seals.

"**Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Jutsu"**

After the last tornado passed, the other was on its way…However Naruto's Jutsu intercepted it. When the ball of lightning came into contact with the tornado, everything changed. The 'Kiba' had all of its muscles lock up, causing it to go out of control. Paralyzed from the shock, the Kiba slammed into the wall before slumping to the ground unconscious.

"What do you know? I got the real Kiba on the fir…'POOF' Damn."

When Naruto turned around, he saw what he thought he would. Akamaru, lying unconscious and Kiba glaring hatefully.

"Oh well, let's go mutt."

Kiba was actually growling at that.

Without waiting, Kiba charged Naruto at his full speed and landed a slash onto his stomach. However, instead of blood like he was expecting, water came out.

"**Water Release: Gunshot Jutsu**"

Kiba was far too confused by the clone to dodge in time. Therefore he took six, point blank range, chakra compacted water bullets to the back.

He may have been conscious, but he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

As the medics checked on Kiba. Naruto began to head up to the balcony, only to be stopped by Hayate.

"Ok. Those of you, who won your matches, please come down here to the arena floor."

Naruto just stopped and turned around. He was joined by the shinobi he would face in the finals.

"Ok, congratulations are in order, but don't celebrate just yet. Anko will come around and you will each draw a number, that number will decide the matches for the finals."

Everyone except for the absent Sasuke drew a number. Sasuke receiving the last number.

Everyone looked up at the screen that now displayed the matches they would fight.

1. Kutsuchi of Iwa vs. Naruto of Kiri

2. Neji of Konoha vs. Dydara of Iwa

3. Sasuke of Konoha vs. Kankorou of Suna

4. Shino of Konoha vs. Temari of Suna

5. Chojuro of Kiri vs. Shikamaru of Konoha

6. Gaara of Suna has a by.

Everyone appeared to be fine with the matches with the exception of Gaara who was glaring dangerously at the screen, contemplating on whether or not to smash it with his sand.

"Good luck with your training, you all have one month to prepare."

Zabuza, Naruto and Chojuro went straight to the medics to see Haku. She was doing better, but still tired. After visiting for over an hour she asked them to leave so she could get some sleep and they could train.

When they arrived at the hotel arranged for them, Naruto finally addressed Zabuza while Chojuro laid down on his bed.

"So, Zabuza-sensei. What will we be working on?"

Zabuza sighed.

"Naruto, I'm not training you."

It took Naruto a second to grasp what Zabuza said.

"WHAT?! WHY?"

"There is nothing left for me to teach you. Your Kenjutsu skill is at the same level as mine was when I became a Jonin, your Ninjutsu surpasses mine, even in my prime and you are just as skilled as me in **Silent Killing Jutsu. **The only thing you need to be better than me, is experience. I will be working with Chojuro for the month. I have already lined up a different sensei for you. He is much stronger then I was, even in my prime."

Now, Naruto was shocked. When Zabuza was in his prime, truly in his prime, he was easily an S-rank ninja, fighting on par with the Yondaime Mizukage even through the first two tails…

"Who?"

"Jiraiya of the Sennin, he requested it."

Naruto seemed unsure but nodded anyway.

"Meet him tomorrow at the river near training ground 17."

Naruto nodded before going to visit Haku and think on this recent development.

Meanwhile, Chojuro spoke with Zabuza.

"So, sensei, what will we be working on."

"Ninjutsu, your Kenjutsu is pretty good, only increased by your sword's abilities. Your **Silent Killing Jutsu **could use some work, but it won't be enough help for us to work on it. So, we will spend the month making sure you can do Ninjutsu closer to the same level as Naruto."

Chojuro nodded.

'_Yes, we were close in Kenjutsu, but Ninjutsu is where he truly outclassed me.'_

Chojuro never knew how brutal this month would be.

Next day, Naruto walks towards the river, only to see a pacing, white haired man he guessed to be Jiraiya, he seemed nervous.

He was so distracted, that the legendary ninja never even noticed his presence.

"Problems?"

Jiraiya jumped at the sudden voice.

"Uhh, umm, yes, I mean no… Ugh, I don't know."

Naruto just raised his eyebrow as he waited for the legend to gather his thoughts.

"I'm sorry ok!"

Now both his eyebrows were raised.

"For what?"

Now Jiraiya was allowing his emotions to get to him.

"I _abandoned _you. I was an orphan; I know the pain of not knowing if anyone loves you. I know what you went through. The worst part is that it was my fault, I should have been there for you."

Jiraiya was breathing heavily and had tears falling by the end. He couldn't even get himself to look at Naruto.

While this was new info, it didn't really surprise him; he knew his dad was taught by the man in front of him. It was logical that this man would be his godfather. A part of him was upset that he could have had a better childhood, flashes of his life in Kiri, and time spent with Haku, quickly solved any resentment.

"I forgive you."

"Huh?"

Naruto would have laughed at the face the legendary ninja was making if this wasn't a serious matter. At least, it was to Jiraiya and he knew that until the man got over it, he wouldn't be learning anything.

"I don't really care."

"But…"

"Yea, sure, if you were there then my childhood may have been a little happier. But it also probably would have prevented me from marrying Haku. I don't care how crappy my child hood was. I am now married to a woman I love, am willing to die for my country and to top it all off, I am on my way to being one of the strongest shinobi in Kiri. Not to mention I'm part of the re-formation of one of the greatest ninja teams in the history of the elemental nations. Now, I was hoping to receive some training."

Though he still seemed unsure…He got serious and nodded.

"Ok sensei, what's first?"

"From what I have been led to believe, you specialize in water Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu but wish to add lightning Ninjutsu."

"Yep, that's about it."

The Anbu was silent for a second before speaking.

"Fair enough, what do you know about elemental affinities?"

…

"Just that they make it easier to use a certain type of jutsu."

…

"Do you know how you get them?"

"Uhh…are you born with them?"

"No, affinities are developed in many ways. For your first, it is usually your emotions…Anger general creates fire, free-spirited is wind, ever changing is water, stubborn is earth and a temper will often result in lightning."

"Is that some sort of joke?"

"Nope, crazy right?"

…

"So, to get a lightning affinity I would need to have a _temper_? There is no way you're being serious."

Naruto got kind of freaked out when Jiraiya's face lost all emotion and just stared at him.

"If you had listened, I stated that is how you develop your first affinity. Usually as a child, later in life, you can train your chakra in a sense. The more of one type of chakra you use, the faster it will develop."

As fast as it came, it left and Jiraiya was back to normal. Naruto had to take a minute to try and grasp what was being said.

"So…if I just use a lot of lightning jutsu, my chakra should convert some of it into lightning chakra and keep it that way for later use?"

…

"A very simplistic way to view it but yes."

Naruto shrugged, personally he liked simplistic.

"Ok, but I only know two lightning jutsu and even then I don't have them perfect. **Lightning Ball **and **Lightning Strike**."

Jiraiya gave a slight nod.

"You shouldn't need much more until you master those ones."

Naruto gave a tired nod. He had been trying to master them, they were just really hard.

"Tell me, is the only reason you chose lightning because you wish to channel it into your sword?"

"No, I want to learn lightning because Earth is weak against it and I know I will have to face Iwa's wrath eventually."

"I see, how far along are you in your Water Manipulation?"

Naruto smiled, his water manipulation was almost done.

"If I had to put a number to it, I'd say 98% I just can't get the leaf to whither completely."

"Understood. I want you to look at lightning Ninjutsu in a different way…Shoot a water bullet at that tree."

With a single hand seal, Naruto cheeks bulged and shot a high-powered water bullet at the nearest tree. It left a sizeable dent in it.

"Good, now again."

Once again, a single hand seal and the blonde's cheeks bulged. He never even noticed that Jiraiya flashed through his own hand seals.

"**Lightning Release: Lightning Strike Jutsu**"

Right after he shot the water bullet, the Toad Sage sent the thin stream of lightning into the back of it. When the lightning jutsu hit the water bullet, the water bullet simply absorbed the lightning. The water bullet now had sparks dancing around it, not to mention it was easily moving twice as fast.

This time, when the bullet impacted the tree it tore right through it, along with the one behind it before finally dispersing.

"Wow"

"Similar to how wind and fire are often used together, water and lightning make a perfect combination."

Naruto didn't know what to think.

"Is it even possible to do that by yourself?"

"Yes, I have personally seen Sarutobi-sensei do it."

"Why don't you do it?"

"I don't have an affinity for lightning, the chakra cost would be too high to be of use. Now, I am pretty much, only going to teach you one Jutsu…They teach it at the academy in Kumo. It is basically the basis of every lightning jutsu in existence and is perfect for combining with water. It is called. **Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu. **It produces a very powerful wave of electricity around the hands. Once you have that down, we will begin working on maintaining it while you cast several water jutsu to combine together…"

Two Weeks Later

Naruto was making his way back to his hotel. After another tiring, yet successful day. If he had to guess, he would say it was a little after midnight. There wasn't a soul around.

He had to admit, when there weren't hundreds of civilians glaring at you, and wishing for your death, Konoha was a very beautiful and peaceful place. It was very different than Kiri.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of metal hitting…something.

Using his advanced hearing, he was just barely able to make out a condescending voice.

"That was _Konoha Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon_. Konoha really is full of talented ninja, being able to use it at such a young age. Unfortunately, it is only natural for material blades to be stopped. Nothing stops a blade of wind."

Meanwhile, having moved to the adjacent rooftop, Naruto's eyes were wide.

'_Suna and Konoha are allies…why is that Suna Jonin going to kill the proctor? What should I do?…If I hurt either one of them, it could damage the alliance… Remember what Mei-sama said, 'When unsure of the answer, use political responses' I'm not politician but my guess would be…restrain them both and let Sarutobi-sensei deal with it.'_

Baki was an A-rank Jonin ninja of Suna. He should have sensed the build up of chakra, he should have heard the young ninja's footsteps. He shouldn't have allowed himself to be unaware of his surroundings. However, he was just having too much fun lecturing the young Konoha nin.

Hayate was a B-rank Special Jonin from Konoha. However, he was about to be killed anyway, why does he care what's around…

Just as a blade of wind formed around Baki's hand, a shout was heard. But it was to late.

"**Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu!**"

Both Baki and Hayate, turned just in time to see the young apprentice of Zabuza Momochi place his hand on Baki's face, the electricity surging through his body and into Hayate's, the effect left them both in a convulsing heap.

The second the electricity came into contact with their skin, they could do nothing as all of their muscles contracted. Despite their attempts to move, the attack left them stiff as a board.

It didn't take long for the effects to wear off, at most thirty seconds. However, that was more than enough time for Naruto to apply a chakra suppression seal, as well as bind them tight with ninja wire.

As soon as Hayate came to his senses. He was scared, really scared. Not for himself. He accepted that he was going to die. No, he was scared for Konoha, and scared for Yugao. If Kiri, Suna and Oto teamed up. Konoha wouldn't survive.

When he was hefted up by a water clone, he noticed they were making their way silently through the village.

As they made their way through the village, Hayate was trying to figure out a way to get a message to someone.

He was forced to watch as they passed his fiancé's Anbu squad, completely undetected.

Looking around, he recognized where they were heading.

'_This is the clan district…why would he take us here? Is one of the clans revolting?'_

The dread continued to build.

He was even more shocked when they stopped outside of the Sarutobi clan compound.

Baki was passed nervous. He was shaking.

'_All that planning for nothing. The Konoha ninja knows Suna is involved. Even if I don't spill anything. We already lost our element of surprise.'_

Naruto and the clone, each carrying a prisoner, made their way up the side of the compound until he entered an empty room.

The room was large. It was nicely decorated with tons of pictures and had several bookshelves as full as they could be.

'_I guess I'll just have to wait for sensei to finish and go to bed.'_

The Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi was making his way towards his bedroom. Of course with the exams going on and talks of an invasion, he hasn't been able to spend much time in there at all.

When he was about four doors down, he sensed something that shouldn't be there.

'_INTRUDER! Hmm, he is skilled. I can just barely sense him.'_

Sarutobi discreetly drew a kunai and slowly opened his bedroom door.

A voice startled him, causing him to throw the kunai on instinct, Sarutobi was shocked and horrified when he saw it impaled Naruto's head. However, he was relieved when Naruto turned to water.

"Damn I'm glad that clone was there, or I'd be dead."

Calming his racing heart. Sarutobi smiled slightly.

"Well, Naruto-kun. I certainly wasn't expecting a visit."

Naruto shrugged and gestured to the two bound ninja in the closet.

"During my walk to my hotel, I wasn't expecting to see two Jonin from allied villages attempting to kill each other. Unsure of the situation, I bound both."

Sarutobi's eyes went wide when he saw who it was.

'_Hayate?'_

Removing the Konoha nin's gag, Sarutobi spoke.

"What happened?"

Hayate gestured to speak in private, something that the Hokage readily agreed to.

"Hokage-sama, I was going for my nightly walk when I saw an Oto and Suna Jonin conversing. I was slightly suspicious at that. But what I overheard shocked me. Suna and Oto are going to invade during the finals."

The Hokage's eyes went wide.

"Why would Suna do that? They are our allies."

Naruto, who had been eavesdropping, spoke up.

"It is simple really. Suna is in the middle of a depression because the Wind Daimyo has been sending a lot of his missions here, on top of cutting their military funding. Because of that, Suna is poor. But, if Konoha were to be destroyed it would solve their problems."

Hayate spoke up next.

"But Suna is the weakest of the five great villages. Do you really think that Suna and Oto could destroy Konoha?"

Both Naruto and Sarutobi were in thought. Naruto spoke up first.

"Orochimaru alone could keep the Old Man busy. But if the Kazekage assists, then he would probably be beaten. No offense, but you're not in your prime any more. The other way they could do it, would be. Orochimaru takes on the Old Man and the Kazekage takes on Jiraiya, who I'm sure they weren't originally counting on…"

Sarutobi took up the speech next.

"Not to mention, Gaara is the Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi. If he were to let the beast free, then it would take several Anbu to take him down. Even then, he would cause untold amounts of damage to the village."

Hayate, getting where they were going had something to add.

"Plus, if Orochimaru can unleash some of his larger summons on the village. They could cause a lot of damage as well."

Sarutobi spoke next.

"Suna doesn't need to destroy us. They just need to weaken us. Orochimaru wants Konoha to burn, but I'm sure he would be happy if I was just out of the way."

Hayate said something they all agreed on.

"This is bad, really bad."

After several moments of silence, Naruto spoke.

"Well, I am no longer a Konoha nin, so good luck. I will defend my former village as per our alliance but I don't feel like listening to the political bullshit… That's Mei-sama's job. By the way, that chakra suppression seal will wear off in about an hour. He was skilled with the wind blade technique. That will cut through that wire like a knife through butter."

Naruto jumped out the window and went to get some sleep. He would tell the others about what happened in the morning.

Two minutes later, Sarutobi flared his chakra and four Anbu appeared.

"Take this Suna Jonin to Ibiki. Make sure he knows that he has free reign, as long as he gets the info within twelve hours and nothing visible. After dropping him off, get Inoichi Yamanaka, we will need him to be returned to his team, with no knowledge of his capture…"

The Anbu each flinched at the thought of Ibiki with no restrictions. They steeled themselves before chorusing.

"Hai Hokage-sama."

The four disappeared, Baki in hand…

As the Hokage, peered out the window, he spoke to himself. That didn't stop the retreating form of Hayate from hearing him.

"Konoha will have some dark days ahead of her…"

**Well, that's it my re-write is moving right along.**


	9. Learning of War

**This is it! The end result of my slacking and boredom! Please let me know what you think, my first real update in over six months should be out on Friday!**

**I made my invasion different. I was tired of the same old thing. Sasuke injures Gaara, Gaara and siblings run to forest, Sasuke arrives, Sasuke gets beaten, Naruto saves the day…**

**A few people were slightly confused…Dydara is not Deidara…He is merely a member of the same family, hence the similar name and fighting style. **

**This was the most all over the place, chapter I have ever written. It bounced all over the place. Gaara vs. Naruto, Chojuro vs. … Haku vs. … Kage battle, invasion itself. Team 9's battles…you get the idea, so if I screwed up…oh well, it's not like you're paying to read my story, just let me know and I will try and fix it.**

Chapter 8

Fight for your lives

Naruto, Chojuro, Haku and Zabuza, along with the Mizukage and Ao were slowly making their way to the arena, each armed to the teeth. They were prepared for war and war they would get.

Everyone wore their standard battle gear.

When they reached the arena, they nodded to each other. Before separating, Naruto and Chojuro to the arena floor, Haku to the stands, and Ao, Zabuza and Mei to the Kage booth.

When Naruto and Chojuro arrive to the arena, they see all the Genin have arrived.

As the two walk towards the others, they can't help but notice the lack of water…

Walking over, the two Kiri nin stop by Neji.

"Are you ready for this?"

Neji smirked.

"Of course. But I must ask, what did you do to piss off the Iwa nin so much."

Naruto chuckled slightly.

"I didn't do anything, my father did."

Neji looked at him confused.

"Father? I thought you were an orphan."

"I am, my father died the day I was born."

"What was his name?"

Naruto smirked.

"I'm not actually allowed to tell you. But, I will give you a hint. He looks a lot like me, died October 10th, and Iwa doesn't like him."

It only took Neji a second to realize who he was talking about. That caused Neji to look at Naruto like he grew a second head.

Shaking out of his stupor, Neji just continued what he was originally going to say.

"Why am I not surprised? I always knew you were too unpredictable to have regular parents…Anyways, the reason I brought it up, is because the Iwa Jonin, I think it is a disguise."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Though I can't see through it, it appears as though there is a Genjutsu on him. While his height seems normal, his chakra network is smaller. As though the man is impersonating someone much taller."

Naruto thought for a second, before shrugging it off.

"Oh well."

With Haku

Haku quickly made her way to the back of the crowd. She was able to see the several dozen Anbu members.

'_Hmm, they seem to be adequately spread amongst the crowd.'_

Kage booth

When Mei and her bodyguards arrived, they were quick to notice that they were the last to arrive.

"I hope we aren't late Hokage-dono."

Sarutobi gave a kind smile. But the Kazekage frowned before hiding it behind a small respectful bow of the head. One that Mei, gracefully returned.

"Not at all Mizukage-dono. I was just about to give the welcoming speech to the viewers, as well as the fighters."

The Mizukage nodded as she took her seat. Zabuza and Ao took up their places behind her.

Sarutobi flashes through a few hand seals before speaking, his voice played all throughout the stadium.

"**Welcome to the Annual Ninja Chunin Final Examination. Today we will watch ninja from each village, compete in one-on-one combat for the position of Chunin ninja. This tournament will be single match elimination, with no more delays. The first match will be Kutsuchi of Iwa and Naruto of Kiri!**"

Genma spoke up next.

"Everyone except Naruto and Kutsuchi, head to the combatants box."

Slowly, they all made their way from the arena, some ignoring the two, some giving nods of encouragement.

Soon, it was only two. The Grandson of the Sandaime Tsuchikage, and the Son of the Yondaime Hokage…

"Same rules, different terrain, begin."

Kutsuchi spoke first.

"You will die to repent for the sins of your father…"

"**Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Jutsu**"

A strange cube formed in the boy's hands before expanding around Naruto. Kutsuchi smirked.

However, in the stands the Iwa Jonin frowned.

'_I taught you better than this. Any semi-competent ninja can evade a direct attack like that. You need to surprise them…'_

"YOU DIE HERE!"

The cube flashed, and all that was left was dust. Just as he was about to celebrate. Someone spoke.

"You should never allow your opponent to get behind you."

Kutsuchi turn around in shock, just in time to receive a flying knee to the face. As the Iwa nin was flying through the air, Naruto charged at full speed, and got underneath the flying Iwa nin. Grabbing him under the armpits, Naruto uses all his strength and slams him head first into the ground.

When Kutsuchi landed, he created a crater…

Slowly, Kutsuchi stood, but as he did, he coughed up a good amount of blood.

Naruto smirked at him.

"That can't be healthy."

Kutsuchi snarled at Naruto.

Kutsuchi flashed through several hand seals.

"**Earth Release: Rock Fist Jutsu**"

The Iwa nin's right hand became covered in a layer of rock.

Without giving anything away, Kutsuchi concentrated on the rock on his hand.

'_**Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Jutsu**__'_

Without delay, he charges Naruto at his full speed.

Naruto, having never seen the dust user's full speed, was caught off guard.

Just before his fist came into contact with the surprised Naruto, Kutsuchi concentrated on his fist once again.

'_**Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Jutsu**__'_

Naruto's surprise cost him dearly as he was forced to use his giant sword as a shield. The force of the hit sent him sliding for twenty feet before he slammed into the wall, causing many of the bricks to crack.

The audience couldn't believe the force behind that attack, and neither could Naruto.

'_That punch…I don't want to think about the results if that was my face…'_

"That's a dangerous Jutsu you have there…I guess that means it's my turn."

His sword still hiding his hands, Naruto flashed through three hand seals.

"**Water Release: Octopus Binding Whips Jutsu**"

Kutsuchi glanced back, having not even noticed that he was less than a foot away from the only water source in the arena…

Eight large whips made of water shot out of the small stream and wrapped around him.

One on each wrist, one on each ankle, one around the hips, one around the chest, one around his stomach, and the last, around his neck. The whips forced his body out, as if he was crucified.

"Would you like to know, why this Jutsu is so effective? I'll tell you, each of the eight whips immobilizes a primary muscle group. No amount of brute strength can force a muscle to retract when at full extension… I enjoyed this match very much, but it's time to end it…"

Naruto picked his sword up before charging the Iwa nin at incredible speed, his sword poised to take the nin's head.

Kutsuchi was sweating, he didn't know how to get out…

'_Damn it, these whips aren't very strong but it still can't move…Unless…This is going to be hard, I still haven't mastered this Jutsu…__**Earth Release: Ultra-Added Weight Rock Jutsu**__'_

Just as the giant sword was going to make contact, Kutsuchi dropped to the ground like he suddenly weighed thousands of pounds…to accent that point, his still-rock covered fists buried about a foot into the dirt.

Before Naruto could react, Kutsuchi dropped his rock-fist Jutsu and formed a single hand seal…

"**Earth Release: Mud Bullet Jutsu**"

A single bullet of mud, flew from Kutsuchi's mouth and impacted the still off balance Naruto in the stomach, effectively knocking the air from his lungs…

Not one to waste an opportunity, Kutsuchi landed a devastating Taijutsu combo to Naruto's face.

Lip bleeding, broken nose, eye swelling…things were not looking good for the Kiri nin and nearly everyone who bet on him were upset at losing their money.

However, Naruto was far from done, and things were about to get even more interesting if the smirk on his face was anything to go off.

With slow movements, Naruto reached for his sword. Kutsuchi wouldn't admit it, but the sight of Naruto holding the zanbatou as though it was weightless unnerved him slightly.

Once again, Kutsuchi covered his arm in stone.

The two continued their stare down for several more seconds before both charged. Stone met metal in a shower of sparks. Unfortunately, that was when Kutsuchi noticed Naruto's bulged cheeks.

The water bullet slapped Kutsuchi in the face and caused him to lose concentration; he received a nasty slash across his stomach.

"You caught me off guard there. But it won't happen again."

Naruto smirked as he formed several hand seals.

"I bet it does. **Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu**"

Meanwhile, Kutsuchi lost his smirk as he recalled his grandfather's warnings. It didn't last long though.

'_I'll show you Grandfather! I will show you that I am worthy of being the Yondaime Tsuchikage.'_

"Let's see if you're as good as they say…Kiri's Phantom Blade."

Before he even finished speaking, he felt a sting on his arm…when he looked over, he was just barely able to make out that he had a small cut…

'_How?…'_

Naruto's voice sounding very demonic sounded through the stadium.

"**Just think, that could have been your arm…**"

Kutsuchi is looking around like crazy now.

"Where are you, you coward?"

"**Oh, is the baby Tsuchikage not having fun anymore? It's ok, I'll be sure your grandfather receives every piece of you. Just not at the same time.**"

Kutsuchi can't remember a time he had ever been so scared, however, his training kicked in and he blurred through a dozen hand seals.

"**Earth Release: Earth Armor Jutsu!**"

Much like his fist, Kutsuchi was covered from head to toe in dense stone. Naruto meanwhile couldn't see but had an idea.

'_Only one way to find out.'_

**SSCCRREEEECCHH**

The noise rang through the entire stadium.

Naruto was busy blinking the stars from his vision from the loud noise.

'_Well, I'm not doing that again_

Meanwhile, the Iwa Jonin's eyes are wide, and his finger to the ground.

'_Incredible, he is making _no _vibrations as he walks. I can't sense him at all. He truly is deserving of his title.'_

With Kutsuchi

As the battle became a stand-still, Naruto couldn't hurt him through the armor and Kutsuchi couldn't find Naruto.

"I'M TIRED OF THIS!"

In the mist, Kutsuchi jumps in the air, his rock fist still active.

"**EARTH RELEASE: ULTRA-ADDED-WEIGHT JUTSU**"

When the rock covered fist came in contact with the ground, the shockwave was unreal…It was so powerful, that it blew the mist away.

It left Kutsuchi panting heavily, but it did the job.

"Hmm, you know, four months ago, I would have been screwed in this fight. Unfortunately for you…"

Naruto smirked as his clone continued his dialogue. Naruto was hiding in one of the few trees, and slowly going through hand seals he had memorized a long time ago.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu!**"

Nearly everyone below Jonin level had missed the switch and their attention was moved to the pool of water that began to grow into a large water dragon with yellow eyes, Naruto right below it.

However, Naruto wasn't done and began to perform three clumsy hand seals. With a strained voice, Naruto spoke as clearly as possible.

"**Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu!**"

Lightning surged through the dragon, seemingly empowering it, as it flew towards Kutsuchi at an unbelievable rate.

Kutsuchi could only widen his eyes and hope his earth armor would hold up when the dragon was upon him.

The Iwa Jonin frowned.

'_To be capable of using two separate elements for one Jutsu is incredible for one so young. He seems to have even greater natural talent than Kutsuchi or Kurotsuchi, both of whom I thought prodigies__.'_

The Iwa Jonin's frown deepened when he saw Kutsuchi get picked up by the maw of the dragon, the electricity obliterating the earth armor and attacking the boy's nervous system.

He couldn't stop the wince, when the boy was rammed into the stadium wall, collapsing a large portion.

It took several minutes, but the dust cleared. It revealed Kutsuchi attempting to stand, but being unsuccessful.

Naruto disappeared in a blur of speed. Naruto appeared behind Kutsuchi, the cleaver ready to remove his head.

"Yield or I will remove your head."

When Kutsuchi said nothing, a water clone came behind him and hit him in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword.

The Iwa Jonin frowned.

'_He is the superior fighter. Kiri truly has some talent. They will get back to their former glory faster than I ever imagined, especially with the alliance between them and Konoha to keep them safe until then.'_

Kage booth

Mei, Zabuza, and Sarutobi all smile proudly at Naruto's victory. But the Kazekage seemed distracted.

'_The Kyubbi brat is too powerful for his own good, I should have him taken care of…However, he did me a favor knocking the dust user out…it will make his capture that much easier. Kukuku.'_

This time, Genma flashed through a few hand seals to amplify his voice.

"**Winner is Naruto of Kiri.**"

Nearly all the foreigners, whether they were merchants or shinobi were cheering like crazy. However, many of the Konoha residents were more subdued.

"**The next match will be Neji of Konoha vs. Dydara of Iwa.**"

Naruto made his way to the balcony as Neji made his way down.

When they passed, Naruto grabbed Neji's shoulder.

"I hope you have something planned for him…His explosions will be difficult to deal with."

Neji smirked knowingly.

"Oh, I got something for him."

Naruto nodded before making his way to the balcony.

By the time he was settled, the match was being called.

"**-begin**"

(A.N. Before I get started, I have been trying to play this fight out in my head for like two days and can't seem to get it right. It's a purely long range fighter vs. purely short range fighter. Every time I tried it was Dydara running and Neji chasing…This is what I had come up with, let me know what you think on this fight.)

As soon as the match begun, Dydara smirked at his opponent.

"This is too easy. A Hyuga? You'll never get close enough to hit me."

Neji gave a smirk of his own.

"We will just have to see then won't we."

Neji charged straight at the Iwa nin, full speed. After nearly three years with Gai, that was fast.

Dydara managed to dodge most of the incoming blows. A few connected, but they failed to close any important chakra points.

Jumping away, Dydara sent two small, clay bats at the Hyuuga.

Keeping up with his pursuit, Neji waved his hand through the air, almost a claw like motion, two, small, senbon-like chakra constructs flew, and hit the birds, causing them to dissolve back to clay. Every Hyuuga in the stadium was shocked.

(A.N. The technique Hinata uses to kill the bees during the search for that one bug.)

The members of the Main House were furious and outraged, while the Branch House members looked on proudly. However, one thing that the entire clan failed to notice was that nobody was smiling more proudly, than Hiashi Hyuga himself.

*Flashback*

Hiashi Hyuga was a stoic, logical, and cold man. He had lived through loss, and seen the hardships of the ninja life. However, the greatest pain he felt was when his own brother felt the need to die, so that he may live.

On the day of his daughter's kidnapping, he had allowed emotion to drive him, that lead to the death of his brother. A man he loved…

Shaking away the negative thoughts, Hiashi continued his walk. It was just _coincidence_ that he had made it to training ground 9, it was also _coincidence_ that he was staying just outside of his nephew's range.

Hiashi watched as his nephew performed one of the Main House techniques.

'_Incredible. Even without the formal training, he is well passed Hinata and Hanabi. He will be the one to change the clan.'_

So, with a purpose, Hiashi made his way towards his nephew.

The second Neji saw who was coming, he was actually scared. He knew the pain Hiashi could put him through with a single hand seal.

Tenten, noticed Neji stopped and was about to ask why when she saw Hiashi, he was walking towards them with a purpose, his normal cold expression slightly unnerving her.

'_Oh my god, that's the clan head. Neji said he isn't allowed to learn this Jutsu…'_

Lee and Gai were doing another lap around the village, so it was just them.

Hiashi turned to Tenten.

"Would you mind giving us a minute?"

Tenten was unsure of what to do, before Neji gave a confirming nod.

Though she was unsure, she trusted Neji.

When she was well out of earshot, Hiashi spoke first.

"I must say. It is impressive. To have nearly mastered the **Kaiten **with no outside assistance."

Neji, still guarded, just nodded.

"However…"

Hiashi began to move his arms up, until a seal was formed.

Neji closed his eyes waiting for the pain…

**Poof**

Unsure what was happening, Neji slowly opened his eyes.

"You see, the problem with the **Kaiten**, is that for a split second when the Jutsu ends, the user is vulnerable. While most fights, it is too short to matter. Against your first opponent, that is all he will need. If I were you, I would lean more towards this scroll I just _happened_ to drop as I just _happened _to be walking through your training ground. Good night Neji."

Shocked, Neji couldn't answer.

As Hiashi walked away, Neji sees a scroll hit the ground.

*End Flashback*

One of the Elders turned to Hiashi.

"Hiashi-sama, I demand that boy be severely punished. He is obviously stealing our techniques."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow.

"So, you're telling me, that you believe a mere Genin, is capable of stealing the Main Families scrolls, locked away in one of the most secure clan houses in Konoha. You believe he is that much better than you?"

The man's eyes went wide before returning to normal. The man just huffed before turning to watch the fight.

Dydara looked at Neji with interest before shrugging and making more animals, this time, nearly a dozen.

These ones met the same fate, with a wave of his hand, they were all destroyed.

Outside, Dydara looked calm. Inside he was worried.

'_None of my constructs can take much damage. Whatever it is that he is hitting them with, is disrupting the chakra so they turn back to clay instead of exploding. He is good, this will be hard. With his Byakugan I won't be able to make them too small for him to see and I also won't be able to surround him…'_

Not wanting to give his opponent enough time to come up with a plan, Neji charges again.

Though he continues to back pedal, he nearly gets hit by several palm strikes.

'_Damn it, just one of those and this fight is over…I have to come up with a plan…that could work!'_

As discreetly as possible, Dydara begins to have the mouths form a small bird. However, he waits until Neji is just about to strike his chest with his palm.

'_NOW!'_

At the last minute, Neji sees the slight buildup of chakra…but it's too late. Just as his palm hits 'Dydara', he changes into a small boulder signifying a _substitution_.

The small clay bird explodes, everyone, even Naruto expects to see Neji be thrown back by the force of the explosion. What none of them expected to see, was a large dome of chakra surrounding Neji.

In the stands, the Hyuuga clan was once again in uproar.

Hiashi simply silenced them with a glare before turning back to the match.

It becomes apparent that Neji didn't start the Jutsu in time when he stops spinning, and part of his shirt is charred. However Dydara is not happy.

'_Damn it, this kid is embarrassing me…I'll kill him.'_

Just as Neji closes the distance between them once more, Dydara just barely keeps out of range. However, he was shocked when out of his outstretched palm came a dozen chakra needles.

Dydara was unable to dodge and received them all to the chest.

Though the damage was small, it provided the perfect distraction. Neji quickly ran up and landed a palm strike to the Iwa nin's heart. Not enough to kill him, but definitely enough to keep him out of the fight.

And true to his plan, Dydara dropped to the ground unconscious.

The Iwa Jonin looked furious.

'_That fool had to play with his opponent. He made the mistake of underestimating the Hyuuga clan Taijutsu. Not many are given a second chance after doing that.'_

Genma rejoined Neji in the arena while the medics took Dydara away.

Quickly performing several hand seals, Genma once again enhanced his voice.

"**Winner by knockout: Neji Hyuuga of Konoha!**"

Though the Hyuuga crowd was considerably more subdued, the rest of the arena was shaking from the applause.

With a nod to the proctor, Neji began to make his way back to the combatants box. He received a nod from Naruto, Shino and Shikamaru.

Genma's voice brought them from the congratulations.

"**The third match will be between Sasuke Uchiha of Konoha and Kankorou of Suna!**"

The second Sasuke's name was said, the Konoha members of the crowd went wild.

In the Kage booth

Mei raised an eyebrow at the reaction.

"Hokage-dono, may I ask what the big deal of this Sasuke Uchiha is? Is he as good as everyone thinks he is, or is he just riding his name?"

The Hokage chuckled good naturedly.

"Well, Mizukage-dono, Sasuke, while very good for his age, isn't as powerful as the civilians believe. They see him as the clan…The Uchiha clan did this, so in their minds, Sasuke did it. It is simple thinking, but understandable for civilians. Although, I do believe you already knew of young Sasuke's skill, did you not."

Sarutobi gave a pointed look towards Zabuza who just shrugged in response.

This caused Mei to giggle slightly.

"This is fun, I'm going to have to come to more of these."

The Kazekage stayed out of the conversation completely, he seemed to be in deep thought.

'_I know Sarutobi-sensei is old, but can I truly beat him and the Mizukage?'_

Several minutes later, the Kages watched Sasuke get in position in the arena.

'_I must show Sasuke how weak Konoha is. With the help of the Shodaime, Nindaime and Yondaime, yes, I can beat them.'_

With that, he gives the signal to unleash phase 1 of the invasion.

Only Naruto noticed the Temari and Gaara, leave the arena as discreetly as possible.

'_When Sarutobi-sensei mentioned that Gaara was the Ichibi Jinchuuriki, I was sure he would set up several Anbu to watch him.'_

Looking towards the Anbu in the arena, he was disappointed to see that they were eagerly waiting for Sasuke's fight.

'Sigh'

Even more discreetly then the Suna siblings, Naruto created a shadow clone, just outside the door and switched with it.

He too, failed to notice that he was seen. By none other than the Iwa Jonin.

'_Where is that brat going? I want to see the full extent of his skills.'_

Not particularly caring if he was noticed by others, the Iwa Jonin left to follow, being sure to be plenty far behind the blonde haired Genin.

Naruto was nervous.

'_I need to stop them before he can unleash the beast, but doing so before he does something wrong, will make the invasion look like Kiri's fault. Damn it, I thought Sarutobi-sensei had a plan for this.'_

Naruto silently drops into a dark alley with a perfect vantage point of Gaara. He they continue to walk until they reach the market place.

'_Damn it, what can I do? If I interfere now, it would be seen as an attack on an allied nation.' _

Naruto decides to stay low, and out of sight while watching the siblings.

"Ok, Gaara, this is it. Just like we planned."

"Shut up, or I'll kill you."

"O-ok G-Gaara."

Naruto can see the crowded streets become more-so. Civilians wondering what was going on, the crowd that had been about ten was nearing fifty.

Naruto was on edge.

'_Idiots! If they don't move their going to die.'_

From his position, Naruto was able to make out Temari's fan opening, ready to defend Gaara. However, Gaara simply stood still, his eyes closed and completely unmoving.

That was when he felt it. It felt too much like Kyuubi to be anything but the Ichibi. However, while Kyubbi's felt full of rage, this just felt insane.

Naruto looked to see Gaara standing up with sand covering his left half of his face and torso. His left eye changed, what was once white, was now black. He had a yellow iris with a black diamond-like pupil.

He also noticed the wind mistress retreating, most likely off to complete her own mission.

"**You will all, prove my existence!**"

Gaara sends a large wave of sand towards the watching crowd. As soon as they saw what he was doing, they all tried to run, but it was useless.

"**Sand Coffin**"

As soon as the sand surrounded them, it was about to crush them, on Gaara's word.

"**Desert Buri-**"

"**Sealing Art: Release**"

Everyone turned just in time to see Naruto throw five sealing scrolls into the air. He quickly jumped over the sand until he was with the group of civilians about to be crushed by the sand and flashed through hand seals.

Just as the sand was about to crush all of them. Naruto called out his next move.

"**Water Release: Water Encampment Wall Jutsu!**"

Everyone who had any idea about Ninjutsu were surprised when hundreds of gallons of water came pouring from the scrolls until it surrounded Naruto and the Konoha civilians in a protective cyclone, effectively dispersing the sand.

Naruto quickly flashed through more hand seals.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu**"

The water from the wall formed a giant dragon that charged at Gaara. Gaara was too unstable to process what was going on, and was picked up and slammed through one of the nearby buildings.

Turning to the civilians he spoke in a serious voice.

"This is an invasion; get to the monument, fast!"

Naruto faced his opponent, never seeing the looks of shame that crossed many of their faces as they ran towards the Hokage Monument.

In the Arena

Sasuke had just landed a brutal combo to the Suna nin's puppet and was about to finish it off with a lightning Jutsu when everyone felt an evil, insane, chakra. It had even the most hardened shinobi shaking. It reminded them of that night, thirteen years ago.

Kage Booth.

As soon as Sarutobi felt the chakra, he knew the plan failed.

"Yamato, Go!"

Just as one of the Hokage's guards was moving towards the edge, He was entangled in some strange, sticky string. He was unable to free himself; even his kunai had no effect. He was forced to watch as the Hokage was dragged to the top of the building with the Mizukage and her body guards closely following.

He was even more fearful, when a strange pink barrier was erupted around the three Kages and the Mizukage's bodyguards.

However, it became clear it was no ordinary barrier when one of the Anbu members failed to stop and was burnt to a crisp.

However, his biggest regret was failing his mission.

_'Damn, Anbu Team Tora failed. __I was supposed to stop the Jinchuuriki if they couldn't. Damn it, I pray to Kami that someone out there can stop the beast before too much damage is caused.'_

Kakashi had been doubtful that Orochimaru would follow through with his plans, but it turned out the man had more ninja on his side than he had ever expected.

The kunai in his hand sliced through the jugular of an enemy Suna nin.

"You were fools for betraying out alliance."

A Suna Chunin dropped from the rafters, a wind blade covering his arm.

"You Konoha bastards betrayed us a long time ago!"

A small fireball intercepted him before he even got close.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The elite Jonin turned, just in time to see a Oto Jonin grab Sakura by the neck, holding a kunai to her neck.

"Hmp! You Konoha nin are so predictable. Now drop the kunai nice and slo-"

"**Shadow Possession Jutsu: Success! **Sasuke, go!"

In an instant, the Uchiha heir plunged a kunai deep into the Oto nin's neck.

Kakashi nodded to the rag-tag group of Genin consisting of Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara, Sakura Haruno, and Kiba Inuzuka.

"Sasuke! You are to lead this team to the academy. Defend the children with your life. Understood?"

Having never seen this side of Kakashi, Sasuke nodded before they took off.

Kakashi could only watch as they left with a sigh.

"I screwed up bad."

Haku and Chojuro were fighting back to back, quickly and easily dispatching the many, rather weak sound ninja invading the stadium. Shortly after they felt the chakra, a large scale Genjutsu was cast across the stadium, putting anyone below Chunin in strength to sleep.

Haku looked over, and saw Kakashi Hatake and Maito Gai doing much the same as them. She decided to voice her worries.

"These ninja are particularly weak. Almost reminds me of that spar when Naruto was being an idiot and just started spamming clones but in actuality his clones were just a distraction."

That caused both of their eyes to go wide.

'_Distraction!'_

Chojuro asked the question on both their minds as he cut down an incoming shinobi with a kunai, not even bothering to draw his sword for the shinobi they were fighting.

"Where would Orochimaru send his stronger ninja?"

After throwing a dozen senbon at several incoming ninja, Haku spoke.

"Naruto's old sensei, the Hokage had mentioned something about him doing bloodline experiments. Perhaps he would try and kidnap some people…"

Chojuro had a quick comeback as he slit the throat of a brown haired Suna nin.

"But, for Orochimaru to want them, they would need to be strong. I don't think he would spend a good portion of his invasion force, looking for bloodline holders. He wants to destroy Konoha at the same time…"

After landing a brutal but effective Taijutsu combo on an incoming Oto nin, Haku answered.

"He is a snake, he would probably try and attack them when they were weak."

Both of them answered at the same time.

"HOSPITAL!"

"That has to be it, plus, even if the invasion fails, if all of the doctors are dead, then any wounded will surly die as well."

Haku decided a change of plans was needed.

"Ok, Konoha has two hospitals. One for upper-class civilians, ones like councilors and wealthy merchants go there. That could ruin Konoha's supply. The other is the Shinobi and regular civilian hospital. I will go to the Shinobi one, you get to the civilian one…"

Chojuro nodded and they took off.

Neji looked when he saw Haku and Chojuro leave the stadium. He turned to his teammates and spoke.

"They appear to have a plan; we are going to have to take up the slack."

Lee started spouting off something about youth before breaking a oto ninja's nose with his crutches, while Tenten grinned and threw five kunai, each killing a separate enemy ninja.

Naruto was getting frustrated.

'_Nothing I do can penetrate that god-damned sand of his! Not to mention, I'm out of water.'_

Naruto couldn't help but glance at the five sealing scrolls on the ground. It was a good idea, but he wished he had brought more. He could always use the water left over on the ground. But that would take a lot of chakra.

With a burst of speed, Naruto was on top of Gaara, he quickly grabbed his sword from his back, and swung it with all his might, it dug about six inches into the sand armor. However, he was expecting this and jumped back, just in time to avoid Gaara's sand.

Naruto landed in a crouch, his sword to his side.

'_Damn, they don't call it Suna's ultimate defense for nothing.'_

Slowly, a smirk crossed his face as he stood tall, placing his sword on his back.

"Why don't we test that!?"

With his ever growing smirk, Naruto pulled out a three kunai, each with an explosive tag already on the handle.

With a small burst of chakra, one of the tags ignited right before he threw it. The explosive went off just before Gaara's sand could catch the knife.

However, it worked perfect, with all the sand defending from the front, his back was exposed, something Naruto took advantage of when he stabbed the last two kunai at the base of the boy's tail.

Naruto wasted no time in retreated, seconds later, a ball of fire engulfed Gaara.

Gaara's demonic roar was all that could be heard throughout the village, sending a chill down many ninjas back.

Naruto watched as Gaara stood up, his sand already repairing itself

"Damn, it's like the Raikage all over again."

Slowly, the sand that had been covering only half his body was now over everything, with the exception of his legs.

"I was hoping to avoid pissing off Konoha by flooding their village, but I think the other option is worse."

Naruto took a deep breath and gathered nearly half of his chakra.

Suddenly, his eyes opened and his hands blurred through hand seals.

"**Water Release: Exploding Water Shock Wave!**"

Even Gaara was able register that this wasn't good and attempted to flee. Unfortunately he was to slow.

A ridiculous amount of water flew from Naruto's mouth, creating a giant tidal wave taller than the Hokage Monument.

Unfortunately for the Sand Demon, Gaara could do nothing as he was swept up in the powerful wave. Gaara wasn't the only one though, Naruto wasn't far behind him, riding the wave while flashing through hand seals.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu!**"

From directly below, a giant dragon made of water swept the red head up in its maw and carried him high into the sky.

However, Naruto wasn't finished. With a scream of effort, Naruto forced the giant dragon of water to turn around, holding the delirious Gaara in its jaws.

"Ha!"

The dragon took off in a burst of speed, heading right for the solid ground below.

It seemed that at the last moment, Gaara's sand got it's bearings and the dragon was destroyed by a massive spear of sand. However, he was moving too fast to catch himself and collided with the ground, hard.

The cloud of dust covered several blocks, nothing could be seen at all, in the center of the market district was a crater forty feet long and fifteen feet deep. Gaara laying in the center, blood falling from his mouth.

"**What is this? What am I feeling? Is this pain?**"

Naruto fell from the giant wave and hit the ground with a thud, having used nearly all of his chakra on that one attack.

"Heh, it was a good one though."

With a wince, Naruto made it to a knee, just in case the fight wasn't over.

Gaara's screams slowly change from pain filled, to demonic before the entire area is torn up and all the sand moves towards the giant pile on top of Gaara.

When the dust clears, Naruto is shocked to see a fifty foot tall Shukaku of the Desert.

"**I will kill you Uzumaki! Forced Sleep Jutsu**"

Gaara fell asleep on the head of the Ichibi.

"**I'M FREE! I'LL KILL EVERYONE WOOHOO! WHO'S THE GREATEST?! I'M THE GREATEST! NOW DIE!**"

Naruto barely dodged a wind bullet that obliterated the building he was on.

'_How do I beat that?'_

Times like these were when Sarutobi really wished his successor hadn't died.

He glanced over to see the Mizukage, Ao and Zabuza facing off against the Shodaime and Nindaime.

(A.N. I believe that resurrected, are weaker than when they were alive. They may have their Jutsu but they are mindless puppets. I mean come on, I know he was still good, but seventy year old Sarutobi was able to hold his own against both, the Shodaime and Nindaime…)

When it became apparent that they couldn't be killed. They decided on the next best thing.

Kill the link. Kill Orochimaru.

Sarutobi and Orochimaru had been facing off for nearly thirty minutes and both were thinking the exact same thing.

'_I can't believe my/his old body has lasted this long.'_

As soon as Orochimaru saw the hand seals that Sarutobi was going through, he charged with all his speed. He knew that those two combined were deadly, so deadly in fact that the thought of facing them actually scared him.

"**Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma!**"

In a poof of smoke, a large monkey, nearly thirteen feet tall was left standing there.

Acting on instinct the large monkey backhanded the still charging Orochimaru back.

"So, the time has finally come. It is about time if you ask me."

"**Lava Release: Lava Bullet Jutsu**"

Enma looks over to see the ongoing battle.

Enma looked Sarutobi dead in the eyes.

"You must see how far he has fallen now, bringing back your senseis to do his bidding. This snake must be stopped."

"I agree Enma, Transform."

Enma smirked. He hadn't seen this much fire in Sarutobi's old eyes in a long time.

"**Transform: Adamantine Staff**"

Where once stood a large monkey was now a bo-staff.

Getting into position, Sarutobi glanced toward the other battle going on.

"It is time I correct my greatest mistake. You won't live through this battle."

Zabuza was tired. He had to of decapitated both of the deceased Hokages a dozen times by now.

Using left over water from the Nindaime Hokage's Jutsu, Zabuza formed hand signs.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu**"

The Shodaime Hokage was only able to avoid being hit by making a wood wall in front of him.

The second the defensive Jutsu dropped. Zabuza was on him. His sword swinging wildly. His arms, legs and head were all cut off before his torso was cut into six pieces.

Zabuza sighed tiredly as the body began reforming.

"Mei, try and melt them again."

Mei glared tiredly at her husband. She had melted them more times than she could count.

When Chojuro arrived at the hospital, the first thing he saw was a tired Anbu about to be killed. Moving quickly, he impaled the attacker with a kunai. To say the Anbu looked relieved was an understatement. It didn't last long as he passed out, likely from chakra exhaustion.

Things were not looking good.

'_They aren't that strong, but there are tons of them.'_

All around him, the Konoha Anbu were dropping, not from actual injuries, but from chakra exhaustion. In the end, it was just Chojuro and a purple haired Anbu with a sword. Her body was gorgeous; definitely rivaling Mei as far as figure goes. He actually had to force himself to stop staring.

They nodded in respect and luck to each other, as they panted before charging the last twenty attackers…

Haku's situation was considerably different. When she arrived, she saw nothing but bodies everywhere.

Running a quick diagnostic Jutsu on one of the Anbu, she was shocked.

'_This looks like it was done with a Chakra Scalpel. To be able to use it this effectively in combat is incredible. I heard even Tsunade Senju couldn't do that.'_

She began to quickly, yet quietly make her way through the hospital when she heard some talking.

"You should be honored; Orochimaru-sama wants you as a test subject, which means he admires your skills."

"Get the hell away from me you snake freak."

The voice went from playful to furious.

"You know, I was going to make the experiments relatively painless, but now…Oh now, you are going to wish you died here."

Haku was able to peak through and see Kabuto pull out a scalpel and place it at the patient's neck. She recognized the patient as the Iwa nin that wanted to kill Naruto.

'_He tried to kill my husband. I should just leave him to his fate.'_

As she walked away, she thought of something Naruto had told her once.

'Hate only begets hate.'

'_God damn morals.'_

With a sigh, she kicked the door open and peppered Kabuto with senbon. He simply turned to mud.

"I was wondering when you were going to join us."

Meanwhile, the Iwa nin's eyes were wide.

Here was the wife to his greatest enemy, and she saved him.

"Though I feel no desire to save this man here, my husband would never forgive me if I allowed an innocent man to be subjected to the evils you would force upon him. I can't allow you to take him…"

Kabuto smirked and was behind her faster than she could see; at least that's what he thought.

His palm glowing blue, he brought it to her neck, to sever the artery. However, she was no longer there, and sticking in his stomach was a thread.

He roughly pulled it out with a wince.

'_If I was anybody else, I would be dead. She actually managed to sever the abdominal aorta. If this was a fight against anyone but a very skilled medic, she would have won already.'_

Now, knowing not to underestimate his opponent, he jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding another stab.

He smirked.

'_This will be fun.'_

Chojuro was barely standing. Him and the purple haired Anbu had defeated over three quarters of them when she was injured. He managed to save her from dying, but received a kunai to the leg in order to do so.

Looking at his last six opponents, Chojuro sighs.

'_I only have the chakra to do this once. If I miss even one I'm dead since it will likely leave me unconscious.'_

"**Hiramekarei Unleash: Long Sword**"

In one swipe, his sword grew from about four feet to twenty. As he swung, it decapitated each and every Oto nin. Before he passed out he saw that one of the previously downed Sound nins stood up with a wince.

Chojuro was just able to watch as the invading nin drew a kunai with a sick grin of sadistic pleasure.

He could do nothing as the nin went to plunge the kunai into the purple haired Anbu's head.

That was when he heard it. It sounded like a screech.

"**Chidori**"

The man's chest exploded from the staggering amounts of lightning chakra that forced its way into his body.

Chojuro was just able to make out the symbol on his savior's back. It was non-other than Sasuke Uchiha.

"Don't get used to this. I will defeat you, I will defeat Naruto, and then I will kill my brother."

After hearing Sasuke's final words, Chojuro allowed sleep to take him.

Sasuke looked down at the Kiri nin, a member of a team he needed to beat with a sigh.

"Hmph, you'll be fine."

Sasuke jumped to the roof of the hospital and looked around, following the orders that the Anbu team at the academy gave him. _Protect the hospital._

It took him no time at all to realize the most immediate threat, a brown snake roughly the size of small house that swallowed a Chunin whole.

"Time to see how far I've come."

Several hand seals and his hand became lit up with electricity, the sound of chirping pierced the air.

"**Chidori!**"

Sasuke cleared the distance in an instant, his attack cutting through the snake as though it wasn't even there. Panting, a smug smile made its way on his face.

'_I'm coming Itachi.'_

Mei looked over towards the other battle occurring on the rooftop.

The Hokage wasn't doing too well. She turned just in time to see him get knocked down by a brutal Taijutsu combo, courtesy of Orochimaru.

"Ao, you are the freshest of us. Go help the Hokage, these two aren't to bad."

Though he wanted to argue, he knew better.

As he made his way over towards the Hokage, he saw Mei melt the Shodaime… again, and Zabuza bisect the Nindaime…again.

Ao hid amongst the trees created by the Shodaime, just waiting for an opportune moment to strike. That was when he saw it.

The staff wielded by the Hokage, grew an arm that grabbed Orochimaru's neck.

"**I will rip your throat out you snake!**"

Ao, using this opportunity, dropped onto the arm of the staff before landing a blow to the Snake Sennin's face.

However, Orochimaru simply turned to mud.

"Interesting. While your style is quite different. You are using the Taijutsu principles of the Hyuuga Clan. Most interesting. Just what is that patch hiding?"

The differences in the style became obvious when Ao pressed his attack. While the Hyuuga Gentle Fist was like a calm stream, flowing around the opponent, Ao was like a raging river. Never giving his opponent any breathing room.

As Ao attacked, Orochimaru was actually having difficulty staying ahead of the Taijutsu master. Orochimaru substituted with a mud clone before forming a single hand seal.

"**Summoning Jutsu: Shadow Snake Bind Jutsu**"

A large green constrictor flew from Orochimaru's sleeve and bit deep into Ao's shoulder.

As Ao dropped to the ground convulsing, it became apparent that Sarutobi had recovered when Orochimaru was sent across the rooftop by the old man's staff.

Sarutobi stabbed the Kiri nin a vial of green liquid before pursuing his student.

Everyone in the barrier and around it, got to watch Orochimaru, self-proclaimed immortal get beaten around the roof. It became apparent that while Orochimaru was strong, he was not yet ready for the God of Shinobi.

Haku narrowly dodged another one of Kabuto's chakra scalpels before retaliating with her two ice senbon, having lost Nuibari only moments ago.

Kabuto jumped back and gave her a sickening smirk.

"That bloodline of yours is interesting…It appears to have the ability to work as a time-space Ninjutsu…I'm sure Orochimaru wouldn't mind if I brought you as another test subject."

"You won't live to find out."

Haku flashed through a few hand seals.

"**Ice Release: Arctic Air Jutsu**"

Suddenly, the temperature in the building decreased to freezing and kept getting colder.

The moisture in the air turned to ice, and the room kept getting colder. So cold in fact that Kabuto was forced to use his chakra to keep from shaking.

"I bet you wondering what the point of this Jutsu is."

Kabuto slowly nodded.

"You see, it is common practice to use your chakra to keep warm in cold climates. Normally it takes little control and next to no chakra. However, the temperature in this room is -80 degrees, cold enough to freeze the blood in you veins, instantly. Should you stop the flow of chakra, you will die a very cold and painful death. Should you continue to keep yourself warm, you will not have the chakra control necessary to use most of your Jutsu."

As if to accent her point, Haku glanced at Kabuto's hands.

'_I-its gone! I can still feel the drain, but I can't control my chakra enough to sustain the __**Chakra Scalpels**__. This truly is a powerful bloodline.'_

Kutsuchi's eyes are wide as he watches the battle going on from his small, ice prison. Is it cold? Yea. Is it as cold as it is outside of the dome? No.

'_S-she is even going as far, as to keep me safe from her Jutsu. Why?'_

All his life, he had been taught that the Yellow Flash was a monster, the man responsible for the death of his father. But here is the man's, son's wife, saving him.

'_Why?'_

He just can't figure it out.

Naruto was running, still running.

'_Where the hell are the other ninja from this village. You would think a giant sand raccoon loose in the village would be a priority.'_

Hearing a distant explosion, Naruto saw a giant purple snake, alongside a slightly smaller, two headed snake, smashing through the village walls. Meanwhile, Ninjutsu after Ninjutsu were thrown at them, but they didn't even seem fazed.

'_I guess everyone has their own problems.'_

The Iwa Jonin smirked.

'_Looks like the kid can be beaten, it just took a tailed beast to do it.'_

Naruto jumped from the building he was on just a second to late when a giant bullet of wind reduced the building to rubble and he was sent flying into another one, crashing through the wooden wall. Naruto landed in a heap, whimpering in pain. When Naruto opened his eyes, he saw the reason. Sticking out of his left shoulder was a large splinter of wood the size of a katana.

"Ugh, that sucked."

Taking care to steady himself, Naruto grasped the piece of wood and yanked it, clearing it from his body.

"Gah!"

Using the rubble around him to steady himself, Naruto stood. After only a few seconds he was stable enough to stand on his own. However, breathing still hurt.

Naruto took a second to look around, quickly realizing he was in a weapons shop, he was surrounded by more weapons than he could use in a lifetime.

A vicious smirk slowly made its way across his face as a plan came to mind.

He heard the tell-tale sound of one of the Ichibi's wind bullets destroying another building.

"Looks like I don't have much time."

Ignoring his bleeding stomach, Naruto set out to gather what he needed.

Not one minute later did he have what he needed; it was all kept in two boxes roughly the size of a shoe box.

Orochimaru glared tiredly at his ex-sensei.

'_Even as old as he is, he still beat me. How?'_

Orochimaru narrowly dodged the downward swing of the bo-staff, however, he was unable to get away when the staff grew an arm and grabbed the Snake Sennin's leg.

Because he was being held down, he was unable to escape when Ao dropped behind him and landed a brutal, chakra infused strike to the center of his back, effectively closing off the man's chakra network.

Orochimaru would scream if he could. However, he was having difficulty doing anything.

Glancing over, Sarutobi and Ao saw the Shodaime and Nindaime begin to disintegrate before all that was left was two Oto Genin.

Almost immediately, Sarutobi fell to the ground, exhausted, while Zabuza and Mei both took a knee.

'_Damn it, I lost. After all that planning, I lost. I need to go.'_

With a signal, the Snake's four guards were running, carrying the injured Orochimaru.

The Anbu attempted to pursue them, but strange webbing from one of the Sennin's guars stopped them.

Sword in hand, Haku charges forward and stabs the neck of Orochimaru's right hand man.

However, he simply turns to mud turning quickly, with a wave of her hand, several senbon made of ice fly, and impale Kabuto.

Kabuto is getting pissed.

'_Damn her, she's making a fool of me.'_

Using the thin sword, Haku easily blocks Kabuto's strange kunai, and slams a senbon into the man's cheek, drawing blood.

Pressing her advantage, she jabs four more ice senbon into the silver hair nin's stomach. She was pleased when his shirt began to dye red.

Kabuto is seething now.

'_I can't win a fight on her terms.'_

The hit she scored, giving her confidence plus the fact that his stomach healed in front of her eyes, giving her anger. Haku charged in recklessly.

That cost her dearly.

She stabbed through Kabuto's head, only for him to turn to mud. However, she felt more pain than she ever had before. Then the memory of her charge came back.

Right before she cut him in half, she felt a hand on her chest…right above her heart. Right where the pain was. The hand that hit her was glowing blue.

Kabuto watched happily as her breathing became labored. He turned and fled when he sensed the approaching Anbu squad.

If he would have turned around, he would have seen Haku's hands in a hand seal, and her body freeze from head to toe. The only one, who saw, was Kutsuchi.

Just as Naruto left the weapon shop, a giant bullet of wind collided with it, reducing it to rubble, matching the rest of the area.

Naruto made a hand seal he didn't like to make when he was so tired.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu!**"

In a poof, another Naruto was present.

"I need you to distract it while I prepare."

The clone jumped off after nodding.

Just as the Shukaku was about to fire a wind bullet at him, he heard his clone shout.

"**Lightning Release: Lightning Strike Jutsu**"

A small stream of lightning impacted the beast's eye causing him to switch his target to the clone. The clone just barely dodged the giant compressed ball of wind.

Meanwhile, the real Naruto is opening the boxes. They were filled with exploding note after exploding note. There had to be close to 5000 of them. Naruto gave a wicked grin.

'_I sure hope someone is watching… It's gonna be biblical.'_

While remaining undetected by the Tailed beast, Naruto placed all the exploding notes in a large circle around the giant sand construct.

'_Here goes…well, everything.'_

"**Water Release: Cyclone Jutsu**"

Suddenly, all the water from the ground began circling the giant sand-raccoon until the water tornado was taller that it was.

What had Naruto smirking, was that the water had picked up each and every one of the exploding notes. Making it one giant, spinning bomb waiting to go off.

Giving a nod to his clone, the clone smirked and formed the ram sign.

"Boutou!"(Boom!)

As the Iwa Jonin watched the Genin work, he couldn't help but be curious. He remained confused until the cyclone formed with the exploding notes in it.

'_Genius.'_

When the explosion went off, he was forced to apply chakra to his feet or risk getting sent flying.

'_I sh__ould kill him now...No, Iwa had her chance, but now that it's over, maybe we can sleep peacefully at night.'_

The explosion rocked the entire village. It easily went 200 feet in the air and destroyed several houses, but the demon was stopped.

In place of the giant sand raccoon, was Gaara, free falling having been woken up, but too tired to do anything.

Just as he was about to hit the ground, Naruto caught the red head by the back of his shirt and dropped him to the ground.

Gaara couldn't help but fear the boy, no, god in front of him.

The only other person to ever defeat the released Shukaku, was his father, the Kazekage, and that was with detailed instructions from the Saindaime Kazekage.

"D-don't hurt me."

Naruto easily hefted his sword from his back, carefully hiding his wince as he did.

"Why not? You tried to hurt me. The only difference is I will succeed."

"N-no, s-stay a-away."

Gaara's eyes widened when he felt Naruto's sword at his neck.

"Fear isn't fun, is it?"

Gaara slowly shook his head.

"This is what you do to people every day. Should I make you feel like this, every second of every day?"

"N-no."

"Why? Give me a reason."

"I-I…"

"You say you kill to prove your existence. All you doing is proving you're a monster, a demon. Demons don't exist, they don't live. If you remain a demon, I will end you."

As he was walking away, he spoke up again.

"Find something you cherish, hold it close and never let anyone hurt it, that is why I'm strong and you're weak."

Gaara's eyes were wide as Naruto walked away.

Temari was doing her job, having successfully destroyed the Anbu headquarters before destroying as many of Konoha's buildings with giant gusts of wind. She turned back as she saw the unleashed form of the demon her brother kept at bay and let a tear slide.

After destroying Anbu headquarters, the library, and over a dozen shinobi stores, what she saw scared her.

Surrounding her currently possessed little brother was a giant cyclone of water.

'_W-who is he fighting?'_

Golden blonde hair and a big sword flashed through her head.

No longer caring about her mission, she took off towards the battle when an explosion of epic proportions occurred.

She watched as the water cyclone became a giant fireball.

She started to cry for her brother, as she ran all the way to the center of the village.

When she arrived, she felt pain in her heart.

Gaara lay defeated at the hands of the Kiri nin and his sword was at Gaara's neck.

Just as she was about to try and save her brother, the Kiri nin returned his sword to his back and walked away, but not before saying something that had Gaara's eyes wide. Something that, in a different situation would actually be kind of funny on the usually cold boy.

Without another word, Naruto was gone.

However, he didn't make it far, falling unconscious several hundred yards before reaching the arena.

**That is it! If you notice, I ended this chapter a little earlier than my original. Just trying something new. Please review, let me know if you like it now, or prefer the old one.**


	10. Fighting to save the ones you love

**I would like to thank all the reviewers I had. It's nice to hear your opinions.**

**Even though I am using mostly cannon arcs, I am trying to change them up more than I need to. You know, just trying to make it so you're not reading the same thing you already have.**

**Anyways, please enjoy.**

Kiri's Phantom Blade

Chapter 10

Protecting the ones you love

Naruto could barely make out the voices, they kept fading in and out. However, they all sounded somber. He must have moved or something, because all talking stopped.

With great effort, Naruto opened his eyes, a feeling of dread working its way into his heart for some unknown reason.

With a grunt he tried to sit up, only for a wave of nausea to hit him.

"Don't move, Brat. You'll only make it worse."

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open before quickly shutting, attempting to get away from the blindingly bright light.

When he was able to force his eyes open, he saw that he was in a hospital, Chojuro in the bed next to him, unconscious.

"Is h-'coughcoughcough' Is he-'coughcough'Is…"

Zabuza's gruff voice stopped him from continuing.

"He's fine, just a bad case of chakra exhaustion. You should know the feeling."

With slow movements so he didn't get even more disoriented, Naruto looked around the room. He noticed that Zabuza had bandages around his stomach that had bled red and Ao was holding on to an I.V. rack with a strange green fluid entering his system. Mei was there as well, but she seemed ok. However, he instantly noticed someone missing.

"Where's Haku?"

The look of anguish on everyone's face made the boy sit up quickly, completely ignoring everyone's shout to sit down.

In an instant he had Zabuza by the shirt.

"Where is Haku!?"

The man didn't even resist.

"We'll bring you to her, but you need to calm down."

Though on the outside he gave the appearance of calming down, his heart had never raced faster.

Together, the conscious Kiri nin made their way through the hospital. Naruto couldn't help but notice the conflicted looks in many of their eyes.

However, he had more important things to worry about.

Tears began to fall from his eyes when they entered a room, the morgue.

"S-she's…"

Everyone's eyes widened as they realized they never told him, each so caught up in their own worry. Everyone shouted the reply.

"NO!"

Zabuza took over.

"No, she's alive. However, she is frozen. From what the medical nin have been able to figure out, her Aorta Arch was severed. Her bloodline is keeping her alive."

Naruto still had tears in his eyes.

"Why can't they just heal her?"

Mei took over, placing a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"In order to heal her, they need to defrost her, she would have less than a minute to live or get healed. 40 seconds to be exact."

Naruto didn't know what to say, he just slowly made his way over to the door that said 'Live Patient: Keep Frozen'.

With slow movements, he opened the door, his tears falling from his eyes as he looked over her frozen form, his fingers gently running down her cheek.

"I'm sorry for not being there to protect you. You will be ok. I promise you that."

Naruto bent down and gave the girl a chaste kiss on the lips before sliding her back in and closing the door.

"What do we do?"

Mei and Zabuza exchanged clueless looks.

"We don't know. We were about to speak with the Hokage when you began to wake up. We wanted to be there to tell you instead of someone else."

Naruto nodded as he began to make his way back to his room to grab his stuff.

Meanwhile with Sarutobi and Jiraiya.

"I'm too old for this…"

Jiraiya looked confused now.

"Back in the day, I could take on all three of you, without breaking a sweat. Now one nearly crippled me.

Jiraiya looked down in thought.

"It's time for someone else to take up this hat…"

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

'_I know he isn't talking about who I think he is…'_

"It is time Tsunade Senju returned to Konoha."

Meanwhile, with Orochimaru

Kabuto ran his hands over his master one more time before sighing tiredly.

"I apologize Orochimaru-sama. I cannot heal you. You see, your chakra is what bonds you to the host body. Unfortunately, when your chakra network was shut down, the bond was damaged. I have only had limited training in healing chakra networks."

Orochimaru gave a sickening smirk.

"Well then, I believe it is time to see the one person who can."

It was at that time, that Naruto broke through the door of the Hokage tower, Mei and Zabuza following closely.

"Sarutobi-sensei, have you heard about Haku?"

The elderly kage looked up in surprise.

"No, I haven't. What's wrong?"

Just thinking about it brought tears to Naruto's eyes.

"She's hurt, bad."

Without a word, Mei handed the medical chart to the Hokage. Several minutes later the man set the file down, a concerned frown on his face.

'_Why is it that any form of happiness young Naruto receives is always so plagued with sadness?'_

Sarutobi gave a pointed nod to Jiraiya, who stepped forward, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"How long until you're ready to travel?"

The Kiri nin looked at him curiously.

"My old teammate, Tsunade Senju is a medical ninjutsu god. She has never been surpassed in any aspect of medical ninjutsu. If anyone can help her, it will be Tsunade. Now, how long until you can travel?"

Naruto gave his arms a few flexes before nodding.

"Now."

Jiraiya nodded, he knew very well the amount of pain that can come from seeing a loved one injured and unable to do anything about it.

9 hours later and Naruto and Jiraiya were tree hopping on their way to Tanzuka Gai, Tsunade's current location. Naruto was panting and sweating, his vision swimming on occasion but he was not about to stop.

Jiraiya fixed the boy with a glare.

"Don't be a fool! If you don't stop you might die! You are burning through chakra before you even recovered from chakra exhaustion!"

Naruto remained stubborn though.

"No, we're not stopping until we are back in Konoha with Tsunade healing Haku!"

Jiraiya sighed as Naruto sped up.

'_Sorry kid, but you're not in the right mind right now.'_

Jiraiya closed the gap before lashing out, his hand connecting with Naruto's neck. The blond slumped into Jiraiya's arms.

That led Naruto to where he is now, pacing back and forth in a hotel room. He woke up about twenty minutes earlier with a killer headache and Jiraiya nowhere to be seen. However, there was a note on the night stand.

Stay put brat. I got a message that Tsunade was on the move, I need to track her down. I'll be back by 10pm.

Naruto had been pacing back and forth in his room for nearly two hours.

He was so lost in his worry and aggravation, he didn't even ask any questions when someone knocked on the door, he just opened it.

It was pure instinct that allowed him to jump back as a giant bandaged object slammed into the floor where he had been standing. The impact left a large dent in the floor. He instantly grabbed a kunai knowing that Kubikiribocho would be more of a hindrance in the small area.

"This one is quick on his feet. Maybe I should cut 'em off."

Noticing who was at the door, Naruto began internally cursing. One, he knew right away, he had heard dozens of horror stories about the man. He was fairly tall, with a blue-grey, skin tone, small round eyes, add that to the small, gills under his eyes, he had a very shark-like appearance. He was none other than, Kisame Hoshigaki, The Monster of the Hidden Mist and arguably the strongest ninja to ever belong to the seven swordsmen. That meant that the bandaged object that impacted the floor in front of him, was none other than the legendary Samehada, the most terrifying of the seven.

The other was one he was only able to guess.

'_He looks too much like Sasuke to be anybody else.'_

He had short black hair, and a fully matured Sharingan. He was Itachi Uchiha, Slayer of the Uchiha, the man who killed off an entire warrior clan in one night without being detected by the rest of the village.

Both of them were wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them.

'_Damn it, these are those Akatsuki guys…They must be ready for the Tailed beasts then. So much for the Gallant Jiraiya's legendary spy network.'_

"So, Akatsuki is here already."

It was a statement, not a question.

The one that he is sure is Itachi, responded without giving away his surprise that Naruto knew about their organization.

"You will be coming with us Naruto-kun."

Regaining control of his fear, Naruto stares impassively, his eyes never roaming over those of Itachi.

Itachi would have smirked, if he did that sort of thing.

"So, had a run-in with a Sharingan user before?"

A voice behind them spoke up, surprising all three.

"He hasn't but I have."

Itachi and Kisame turned around, just in time to see a swirling blue ball of chakra plunge into Itachi's chest.

"**Rasengan**!"

Itachi was unable to dodge and took the A-rank assassination Jutsu to the chest. It didn't take long for the light to leave his eyes.

Jiraiya looked up when he heard a 'squelch', followed by the sound of blood hitting the floor.

Naruto watched impassively as Kisame's body hit the floor with a thump, a kunai stabbed through his jaw and into his brain. Both however, were surprised when both Itachi and Kisame turned into very different people…

One brown haired chef they had seen earlier and one grey haired old woman they had never seen before.

Meanwhile, ten miles outside Konoha.

Itachi's eyes opened, shortly followed by Kisame.

Suddenly, a voice rang through their heads.

'_Report.'_

Before Kisame could speak, Itachi beat him to it.

"I got careless. I assumed my Genjutsu would have kept Jiraiya at bay for longer. It was a miscalculation on my part."

Kisame snorted before adding his own bit.

"The brat is good too. With as far away as we are, I may have only been at 15% but that is still better than most Chunin and some Jonin out there, but the kid was still fast enough and silent enough to cut through me before I knew it. Zabu-chan taught the kid well."

Whether he would admit it or not, Zabuza's skill in _**Silent Killing Jutsu**_, was one thing that Kisame both feared and respected. He knew that if he were to ever lose Samehada, and Zabuza was to truly try and kill him with it, then there was a 50 percent chance he may succeed. He never had the patience to sit calmly and listen to his surroundings as the Jutsu required.

Itachi nodded, knowing their leader was listening in for their report.

'_Very well, the Kyubbi Jinchuuriki is stronger than we had anticipated, but it is of no consequence. You shall continue your missions in the area while keeping an eye on the Kyubbi. You stirred up the hornets' nest with your little scuffle in Konoha, be sure to avoid detection.'_

Both Kisame and Itachi could feel the link being severed.

*Flashback, four hours ago*

"Feeling nostalgic eh, Itachi?"

The shorter one of the duo, identified as Itachi, looks around the village he once laid his life on the line for, for a second before replying in a cold voice.

"No"

The taller one, standing about 6' 6", shook his head and chuckled slightly.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if you're even human."

If he was expecting a reaction from his cold partner, he was disappointed.

"We did not come here to relive my past. We are here to analyze the abilities of the Kyubbi Jinchuuriki, and if possible, capture it. While he is outside of Kiri is our best bet seeing as Kiri changed every aspect of their security since the death of their Yondaime. While Konoha hasn't changed their security protocol since I was a child."

"Ya, ya… So, what is the plan? Can I just start killing everyone and wait for him to show up?"

"Don't be foolish Kisame, even as strong as you are, you couldn't take everyone from Konoha, especially seeing as the new Mizukage is here. If I remember correctly, you had a pretty nasty run-in with her a few years back."

The man that resembled a shark clenched his fists in anger.

He unconsciously rubbed his right arm, where the burn scars had yet to heal.

"That is even more reason to do it. I still need to give that bitch some pay back."

Even though his face was covered, Kisame shuddered from the emotionless glare he could feel his partner giving him.

"Your vengeance will have to wait, we have company."

Though on the outside, he was stoic as ever, he frowned internally.

'_I see, the invasion has left them weaker than they are letting on, they are beefing up security in case of another attack. That is the only reason for those three to be doing border missions_._'_

"I have to admit, you're quite skilled at hiding your enormous chakra, Kisame Hoshigaki, I almost dismissed it, too bad for you, I learned a long time ago that when something seems like nothing, it rarely is. It's been a long time _Itachi._"

"Yes, it has Inoichi, I see you brought your faithful companions."

When Kisame and Itachi turned, standing there, was Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, and Shikaku Nara, though relatively unknown individually, they were known as the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, since their teamwork allowed them to take on opponents much stronger than them, leading them to rarely if ever be separated.

"Can I kill them?"

"Hold on Kisame. Tell me, what is the location of the Kyubbi Jinchuuriki?"

All three tensed.

"So, Akatsuki is already moving. Jiraiya had said we would have _longer._"

If not for his Sharingan being active, Itachi would have missed the normally, invisible, speeding ball of chakra that left Inoichi as soon as he said 'longer' and entered Kisame.

Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi saw Inoichi's eyes go slightly lifeless, before becoming more focused.

'_I see, he can split his mind and soul into two, allowing him to control his own body, as well as another. Incredible, I have never heard of a Yamanaka advancing to such a level.'_

Itachi just barely dodged when Samehada was thrown at him. The sword flew by him and kept going, well into the forested area.

"Man, this guy has even more chakra then I thought. This next one would take over half my reserves but it will barely dent this guy's."

Inoichi/Kisame flashed through a long series of hand seals.

"**Earth Release: Stone Dragon Missile Jutsu**"

A large dragon made of the hardest stone in the area rose from the ground and charged at Itachi. Just as Itachi was about to dodge by jumping to the left, he saw their plan.

They never intended for the earth jutsu to hit. With Choza to the right, his logical spot to dodge, would be the left, however, he just barely noticed the chakra in the shadows. Shikaku was waiting.

Thinking quickly, Itachi substituted with a rock near Choza and was nearly ripped in two when he blocked the man's Bo with two kunai. The force of the hit sent him skidding back. He would have been caught in Shikaku's shadow if he didn't perform a quick substitution with the first thing he saw.

That just happened to be Samehada.

Unfortunately for the lazy Nara, being trapped by his shadow gave the sword a direct line to his chakra and the man was nearly fully depleted within seconds.

"One down, two to go."

He nearly got another one, unfortunately for him, Inoichi/Kisame was smart enough to avoid looking into the former Konoha nin's eyes, something that greatly upset the Konoha missing nin.

Itachi ran towards Choza while dodging mud bullets from Kisame/Inoichi.

Inoichi and Shikaku turned just in time to see Choza smash his bo through four trees in one swipe, but Itachi dodge.

Choza managed to heel kick the Uchiha, right towards the waiting Inoichi/Kisame. However, just as Inoichi/Kisame grabbed Itachi's face and was about to slam him on the ground, he made a giant mistake. He looked in the Uchiha's eyes.

He was shocked to say the least. No longer where they the three tomoe of a fully matured sharingan, they appeared to be made of a three bladed shuriken.

That was the last thing Inoichi saw before his world bled red. He looked around, only to find himself strapped to a cross, surrounded by his friends and family, his daughter Ino, Choza, Shikaku, their kids, the rest of his clan, along with most of the village.

He tried to stop his chakra flow before sending out a blast of it, he tried pain, he did everything he could think of, nothing worked.

Suddenly, Itachi appeared.

"Welcome to my world, I control everything here. You are going to watch as I kill your family, your friends, your leader, over and over again. I own you for the next 24 hours."

Drawing a Ninjato, Inoichi is devastated when he stabs Ino in the heart. Ino and Inoichi both scream out in agony.

Inoichi cries, sobs, and pleas with Itachi who shows no mercy for the next 24 hours, which was actually only a second.

Choza watched as Itachi let Kisame drop. A scream came from behind them before Inoichi fell to the ground, unconscious.

Kisame recovered several seconds later and was about to attack the unconscious Inoichi when Itachi spoke.

"Kisame, we must go, it is obvious that the Kyubbi Jinchuuriki isn't here. Plus there are five incoming nin, at least A-rank each. We will be unable to keep a fight with them quiet and we have already drawn enough attention."

Kisame looked like he wanted to argue before nodding to Itachi.

"Fine…"

The two disappeared right before Yamato, Gai, Asuma, Kakashi and Kurenai all showed up.

Upon making mental contact with Pein-sama, Itachi was about to speak of the mission failure when Pein interrupted him.

'_Don't bother, Zetsu stumbled upon the Kyubbi Jinchuuriki during another mission, he set up two bodies for you to use. Don't fail this time.'_

*End Flashback

After sealing the two dead bodies, Naruto and Jiraiya had said the hell with staying and were quickly making their way towards Tanzuka Gai.

It was nearly midnight when they walked through the gates, and Jiraiya grabbed Naruto's shoulder when he saw the kid's head scanning everything, obviously looking for Tsunade.

"Remember, we will sleep for the night, and in the morning we will confront Tsunade. There is a good chance a fight will be involved."

Naruto nodded and they headed for the first inn they saw. He wasn't fit to fight as it was. It wasn't long after his head hit the pillow that Naruto fell into a troubled, vision plagued dream.

His sleep was plagued with visions of Haku's motionless body and her possible death.

After nearly six hours, he couldn't take it anymore, but that was ok, because the sun was coming up.

Without even stopping to wake up the obviously, still drunk Jiraiya, Naruto gathers his things, along with Jiraiya's picture of Tsunade, and heads out to find his wife's only chance. Nearly an hour and nothing…

'_According to Jiraiya, she is addicted to both, alcohol and gambling. I've checked every bar and casino in this town. Damn it! Where is she?'_

After taking about five more steps, Naruto was just able to sense the use of chakra, that caused his eyes to go wide.

'_If _I _can sense it, then it is a lot of chakra. It must be Tsunade.'_

*Two Hours Earlier with Tsunade*

"**Winner, Winner, Winner!**"

Tsunade sat at the slot machine with a worried look on her face.

When the casino manager saw it, he was confused.

"My dear, you just won. This is a good thing."

Tsunade shook her head with tears at the corners of her eyes.

"I never win. The last time I won, my fiancé died."

Her voice was so dead, it scared the man.

Without even collecting her winnings, Tsunade ran back to their hotel room to collect Shizune, and Tonton. Her eyes widened when she arrived. The place was a mess. Her eyes immediately went to the senbon in the wall.

'_W-who could have done this? She's more a healer than a fighter. But it would take an A-rank ninja to beat her.'_

Tonton, Shizune's pet pig was on its back, its legs in the air with its eyes swirling.

With a quick touch of medical chakra, the pig was up and about.

"Tonton, find Shizune. Now!"

"Oink. Oink."

Tonton didn't delay in smelling the ground and taking off out the window.

Tsunade was getting angrier and angrier. Tonton was heading towards the village exit. They left the village and continued to run for ten minutes.

Tonton didn't stop until they arrived at a large, empty field.

What Tsunade saw, did not amuse her.

Standing in the field was a silver haired kid with glasses. He had a sickening smirk on his face.

"Well, Tsunade, I must say, I am not impressed. Your teaching skills are hardly what I was expecting from the Legendary Slug Queen."

Her glare got even harder.

"Where is she?!"

"Oh? No introductions? Well, since you won't initiate the pleasantries perhaps I should. My name is Kabuto Yakushi."

"I don't give a fuck who you are! Where is Shizune?!"

If anything, Kabuto's smirk got wider.

"Temper, temper. Anyways, she's fine. Just seeing if there is anything she can do for my master. Should either she or you heal him, you will both leave here alive. If you fail, you both die."

Tsunade's chakra levels began to rise enough to make Kabuto sweat slightly.

Slowly cracks formed around her, the sheer pressure from her chakra destroying the ground.

"Do you still think this is a good idea?"

Having recovered from the massive chakra levels, Kabuto smirked.

Just as he was about to come out with some, smart ass comment, he was forced to dodge when Tsunade attack him from above with a chakra enhanced heel drop. The force of the attack caused a crater the size of a house.

Her level of strength amazed him. Orochimaru had warned him, but never did he imagine this.

Even with his amazing healing, he would probably be dead after a single strike.

Twenty minutes later finds Tsunade panting and glaring at an equally tired Kabuto, the man's right arm hung uselessly by his side, the bones probably resembling dust.

Unseen, on a large rock outcrop, Orochimaru stood with an unconscious Shizune at his feet. He watched his subordinate and ex-teammate go at it with amusement dancing in his eyes.

He was surprised she lasted as long as she had. She was never really trained for direct combat. She usually used her massive strength to scare her opponents into making mistakes that either he or Jiraiya would capitalize on. Though as far as combat medics go, there was none better. She lacked the speed to make any real use of her super strength, something he had told her many times when they were on the same team.

He watched as she implored a simple strategy with a standard clone and landed a kick to Kabuto's leg, easily breaking it, however, she was low on chakra and the force behind it was weaker than before.

Deciding to interrupt before things got too bad for Kabuto, Orochimaru clapped slowly. If he wasn't so well trained, he would have winced at the pain that the simple action caused.

"Well, well, Tsunade, I can see that your legendary strength hasn't lessened at all."

The second she saw who was there she scowled, even when he was young, Orochimaru was rarely up to anything good.

"What are _you _doing here?"

Using more strength than he should, he merely kicked Shizune into Tsunade. She was caught easily by the older woman. Tsunade set her assistant down and glared at her ex-teammate.

"Your assistant made it clear that neither you nor her, have the ability to heal what I need you to."

"I'll fucking kill you!"

She charged right at Orochimaru, intending to splatter his brains.

In her rage induced haze, she never even noticed the small smirk on Orochimaru's face.

She was just out of reach when two small snakes wrapped around her ankle, causing her to stumble.

However, that wasn't the worst part. Another snake erupted from the ground brandishing the Kusanagi; even she would have trouble with the poison that the sword was famous for producing.

She felt the tip of the sword touch her skin without piercing it as she had accepted her fate, preparing to see her loved ones again, she heard what sounded like a huge chunk of steel flying through the air, followed by a squelch and a poof. The sound continued until it slammed into the dirt, standing straight up, revealing it to be one of the Seven Swords of Kiri.

"Where?"

In a mist shunshin a boy appeared, standing on the hilt, his arms crossed, a glare fixed on his face. His target was none other than Kabuto. She looked him over and saw he wore a black, sleeveless shirt, black and white camouflage pants, with a Kiri headband on sideways… He looked familiar but she couldn't remember from where. The look on his face promised pain or death, probably both.

A small part of her was upset that the giant sword cleaved the snake that was about to reunite her with her brother and fiancé.

Naruto didn't say anything. He just glared at the silver haired young man with pure hate in his eyes.

"Hey!"

Tsunade was startled by his shout.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be an S-rank ninja…He just tried to kill the last family you have left. Are you going to let him get away with that?!"

As if those were the magic words, her fire was reborn. She easily tore apart the snakes that bound her.

Orochimaru barely dodged the chakra powered fist that turned the boulder he was on to dust.

'_God damn that brat…I need to end him…He is ruining all my plans…Kabuto shouldn't have any problem with him.'_

He narrowly dodged a heel drop before he grabbed his sword, no matter how much it hurt, he would never show it.

Tsunade narrowly dodged a swing from the sword, and attempted to kick him, however, he too dodged.

In her head, she could see something was wrong.

'_I know he has those disgusting Jutsu…he could have taken that hit, removed my head and then spit up another body… What's the matter you bastard…'_

*Across the field

"Ahh, poor, poor Naruto-kun…Angry that your wife is dead?"

Naruto snorted from his post, having yet to dismount his post.

However, Kabuto's eyes widened when a whisper came from right behind him, it came from none other than Haku.

"You're not as good as you think you are."

Kabuto quickly turned, and was surprised to find no-one. However, his surprise turned to pain when Kubikiribocho slashed deep into his back.

"Gah!"

Kabuto's mind instantly began working.

'_He severed the trapezius and deltoid, ceasing all movement of the left and right arm, an effective maneuver for capture. Normally.'_

Naruto watched with barely repressed rage as Kabuto struggled to move his arm, his robes being dyed red. Without so much as a twitch, a mud clone formed and charged. It wasn't ten seconds before the clone was bisected, but it did its job, Kabuto had healed, not that Naruto knew that.

Kabuto glared at Naruto as the Kiri nin approached slowly.

"You know, I could have killed you just now. It would have been easy. You want to know why I didn't."

Kabuto snorted.

"Because that's too good for YOU!"

Out of no-where, Naruto charged Kabuto at near Jonin speeds, the silver haired medic barely dodged the blade, but received a knee to the stomach, followed by a right hook to the face.

When Kabuto recovered and put some distance between him and the enraged Kiri nin, he tried to think of a way out.

'_I was able to heal myself from Tsunade's hits, but I don't have the chakra to continue this fight…'_

When he glanced over towards his master as he just barely dodged an earth shattering punch from Tsunade, he frowned.

'_With his inability to use chakra, plus the pain that every movement causes him, he isn't doing so well. I must deal with this pest and assist Orochimaru-sama.'_

However, just as he turned to face is opponent, he heard a shout.

"**Water Release: Gunshot Jutsu**"

He was unable to react in time and received a single water bullet to the stomach.

"Looks like the old hag really caused some damage to you."

Kabuto snarled and dropped to a knee, coughing up blood.

With slow steps, Naruto approached the traitor, his sword posed to remove his head.

Using his hunched over form to hide the movement, Kabuto flashed through a few hand seals.

"**Summoning Jutsu: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands**"

A small snake flies from Kabuto's sleeve, catching Naruto by surprise.

The snake latches onto the large sword and rips it from Naruto's hand, throwing it 20 feet away, something that infuriates Naruto.

'_Shit! He's ok!__ Why does everyone insist on taking my sword!?'_

With a smirk, Kabuto activates his chakra scalpels and chases Naruto as the blonde jumps back to get some room.

"I'm going to kill you, just like I did your precious Haku-chan."

Unfortunately for Naruto, he rarely focused on pure speed, he was more concerned with stealth and the strength required to swing an 80lb sword. That translates into his speed not being up to par.

He received a single strike to the stomach and one to the shoulder. The amount of pain it caused surprised him greatly.

With a single hand seal, Naruto creates a water clone behind Kabuto, just as Kabuto is about to hit the real Naruto above the heart, the clone shouts its Jutsu.

"**Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu**"

Looking down, Kabuto notices that the grass is very wet, it had obviously rained the day before and the water surges up, forming a dome of water around the silver haired nin.

The water clone maintains the prison while the real Naruto gives a dangerous smirk.

"You lose."

Kabuto just glares at the blonde.

"**Lighting Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu**"

Naruto charged more lightning chakra into the Jutsu than he ever had before, he could feel the electricity traveling through his hands, numbing them before they were plunged into the water prison, shocking Kabuto and the clone.

It didn't take long for the clone to dispel. Naruto looked down at the convulsing Kabuto with an emotionless face as he drew a kunai, ready to plunge it deep into Kabuto's eye socket. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto noticed the other fight and can see Orochimaru about to impale Tsunade with the Kusanagi.

With no other way to defend her, he performed a single hand seal with a tear in his eye.

"**Substitution**"

One second she was watching as her traitorous teammate was about to stab her in the heart, and the next, she is across the field watching Orochimaru's assistant convulse on the ground, likely from some lightning attack.

It took her nearly five seconds to figure out what happened. She was shocked to see in her place, was the blonde Kiri nin.

Orochimaru couldn't help but smirk when he saw what had happened.

"Kukuku. Naruto-kun, you had such potential. Why would you throw your life away for this has-been?"

Tsunade, had tears in her eyes and was just barely able to hear his response.

"S-she *gurgle* Is the only *gurgle* one who can save my wife. You snake bastard. NOW DIE!"

Before the snake could respond, a kunai was shoved into his stomach by the dying teen.

Kabuto was shakily by the bleeding Orochimaru's side in less than a second and they both melted into the ground.

Without the sword impaling him and keeping him standing, Naruto fell to his back.

Tsunade was by his side before he hit the ground.

'_T-this is just like Nawaki, sacrificing his life for someone else.'_

"W-why w-would you? WHY!?"

"y-you c-can still s-save h-her. Please, I beg you. *gurgle*"

Barely even affected by the large amount of blood, Tsunade wasted no time in trying to heal the young man. However, she didn't have the chakra.

With a fire in her eyes that hadn't been present in almost twenty years, she put her blood covered hands in the ram seal.

"I won't let you die here!"

"**Yin Seal: Release**"

The diamond on her forehead spread around her face into an intricate seal. However, the truly amazing thing, was that her chakra levels sky-rocketed, approaching that of the Ichibi himself.

During the time Tsunade was attempting to keep him alive, Shizune awoke and began to help, without asking questions. She was however shocked when she saw that her master's seal was released.

That is the scene Jiraiya jumped upon…When he saw the state of his godson, he was nearly broken. He had gone out drinking when they arrived and was hung over when he woke up, he couldn't sense their chakra levels until the fight was over. The slight breathing that he could see reassured him, but he was still scared.

It was nearly an hour later, and Shizune had long sense passed out, the boy was just too close to death… She just couldn't get him over that edge.

Even releasing the chakra she had been storing for upwards of forty years, it just wasn't enough. Slowly, the green chakra covering her hand began to fade. She tried to dig deeper for more chakra in order to keep it going, but it just couldn't be done, she didn't have any.

With nothing else to do, she removed her hand from his chest and put two fingers on his neck. She could still feel his pulse.

Thumpthump, thumpthump, Thump…Thump, Thump….Thump, Thump…..thump….

The legendary medic could do nothing but look away as tears fell from both, hers and Jiraiya's eyes.

Just after her fingers fell away from the blonde boy's neck, inside his mindscape, a giant red eye with a black slit, opened for the first time in months. A vicious grin spread across the mouth of the Lord of the Tailed Beasts.

"**After a hundred years, freedom is mine!**"

Nearly thirty seconds later, a giant aura of red surrounded Naruto. The hatred and malice was so thick you could almost taste it.

"Jiraiya, what is this?!"

When she turned to him, she saw he was just standing there, hands together, eyes closed.

"Are you _Meditating _now!?"

The thin, whisker like marks on the boy's face became thick and more feral looking, his canines protruded over his bottom lip, overall he looked like a beast.

That was only brought further when his eyes snapped open.

Deep blood red, full of anger and a black slit down the middle, promising a world of pain to anyone he gets his claws on.

Looking to her teammate, she was angered further when he had yet to move.

Only the instincts that got her through two of the three great wars allowed her to dodge the glowing clawed hand that would have taken a chunk out of her stomach.

"What the hell is the matter with you Brat?! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Don't bother."

"J-J-Jiraiya?"

Tsunade couldn't believe what she was seeing. What was once a single red line going down his cheeks was now a strange design covering nearly his whole face. His nose was larger and covered in warts. Strangely enough, there was an elderly toad on each shoulder. However, none of that compared to the change in his chakra. He had always been powerful, but what she was feeling now was insane. It made her feel pathetically weak.

His chakra was actually radiating off of him.

"W-what?"

"You're out of chakra, you need to leave. This is going to be a long fight."

"W-what is this? What happened to you?"

Jiraiya didn't dare look away from the possessed Naruto.

"Remember during third war, when I disappeared when we started to lose?"

"Yea, by the time you came back, Minato had already won the war."

Jiraiya nodded.

"With or without Minato's help we would have won and this is how. The legendary Sage-mode of the Toads of Mount Myoboku."

Obviously upset at being ignored, the Kyubbified Naruto let out a deafening roar, so powerful that the two Sennin were actually forced to apply chakra to their feet to keep from being blown away.

"Ok, that explains you, but what about him…this chakra…"

"I know, this is the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox, and it has taken control of Naruto's body."

Tsunade's eyes went wide and her mouth dry.

"The Kyubbi? Then this is…"

"Yeah, now I need you to get Shizune out of here. This is not a fight I can keep contained."

He got even more nervous when the fourth tail of chakra grew.

"Well Ma, Pa, you did say you wanted to meet my newest apprentice."

The female toad on his left shoulder, identified as Ma gave him a glare.

"**This is not what we had in mind Jiraiya-chan.**"

Apparently, the Kyubbi/Naruto did not like being ignored and attempted to take the Toad Sage's head off with a chakra claw.

Then the fight began.

Naruto attacked Jiraiya like a wild beast, backed into a corner.

Jiraiya found out quickly that even with the incredible power Sage-mode granted him. The Kyubbi was stronger, faster and more agile then him. The only thing allowing Jiraiya to stay alive was his vast battle experience and Naruto/Kyubbi's lack of style.

"**Damn it Jiraiya-Chan this isn't fun anymore.**"

Jiraiya avoided being decapitated by mere inches.

Jiraiya gave the two a solemn nod.

"I know, I was hoping that somewhere in there, Naruto was alive. But it seems as though the beast has taken over…Time to get serious. You know what to do."

Jiraiya flashed through a few hand seals.

"**Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon**"

Hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of white hairs flew off Jiraiya's hair, each piercing the red chakra cloak, causing the beast to roar out in anger and stumble slightly.

The pain filled roar silenced when a fifth and sixth tail grew from the chakra cloak, the power increase was incredible.

"Ma, Pa, could you imagine if someone were to actually be able to control themselves like this?"

Ma and Pa both looked solemn, both knowing how hard this was for Jiraiya.

"**That would be a man, I wouldn't want to fight.**"

"**Right you are Pa, right you are.**"

With speed that would make even the Yondaime Raikage blink, Jiraiya landed a powerful kick to the Kyubbified boy's face. The force sent him flying back several hundred meters, crashing through several large trees.

Like most times, the boy simply gave a yell and got more powerful.

"Seven tails, it's time to end this."

The beast/boy began charging at him with reckless abandon.

With tears rolling down his face, Jiraiya holds out his hand.

A large, blue ball of chakra begins to form. It starts out not much bigger than his hand, then becomes larger than his head.

"I'm sorry Naruto…If I hadn't…I guess there is a lot I could have changed that would have changed this."

"**Sage Art: Ultra-Big-ball Rasengan**"

The big blue ball of chakra crashed into the boy's stomach…

The swirling ball battled with the angry red cloak…

Slowly but surely, the ball tore through the red chakra and reached the boy's skin, this caused the beast to let out a loud wail of pain.

With a final push, the Kyubbified Naruto was sent flying backwards until he came into contact with a cliff.

Jiraiya idly looked at his hand to inspect the burn.

"To think, Kyubbi's chakra is so corrosive that it alone burned my hand while I was in Sage mode."

"**The Kyubbi is truly a frightening beast**."

"**Agreed**"

"Well, I shouldn't need you here anymore, you can go ho…"

Slowly the ground cracked, the pressure being applied was nothing like Jiraiya had ever felt.

The killing intent flooding the area had even him shaking. If they were closer to town, the civilians would have just killed themselves to get away from the horrible feeling.

When Jiraiya looked for Naruto, he got even more scared…

No longer was there any trace of Naruto, he was covered in such a thick chakra coat that he couldn't even be seen. On top of the chakra coat, a fox's skeletal structure manifested itself, providing even more protection.

"Ma, Pa, any ideas?"

"**I hope you've made your peace with god.**"

Jiraiya's face was grim.

"I'll take that as a no."

Suddenly, the Kyuubified Naruto disappeared, no smoke no leaves, no blur, just gone.

Never in his life had Jiraiya ever taken such a beating… He couldn't do anything about it, the boy was too fast.

When the berserk Naruto got distracted and started chasing a nearby pack of wolves Jiraiya slowly climbed to his feet.

"**Man, that kid's punch is devastating.**"

"No kidding, not to mention his chakra burns with every touch… If only I could hit him without touching him."

"**What about those stone swords you use…Those should cause some damage.**"

Jiraiya scoffed.

"They would disintegrate the second they got near him."

Jiraiya couldn't help but sigh sadly when he saw his godson, pound away at the ground, a bloody smear that was once a wolf under him.

It was Ma that thought of the next one.

"**Didn't you say your new apprentice used a sword…What about his?**"

Jiraiya's eyes widened and he began to look around frantically.

It only took him a second to locate the giant blade.

The second he grabbed the hilt, he couldn't help but feel an unwelcome jolt, followed by...Not a voice but neither was it nothing. It was a feeling that reached to his very core.

'_Assist my master in taming the beast.'_

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

'_Sentient?!'_

Without a second thought, Jiraiya charged the Naruto/Kyubbi. Bringing the sharpened side of the sword straight onto the beast's unprotected side. To Jiraiya's surprise, without too much resistance, the sword managed to cut through the aura and into Naruto himself.

"**So, it isn't as powerful as we thought. If it bleeds, it dies.**"

The Kyubbi's roar sent Jiraiya skidding backwards.

Before Jiraiya could even acknowledge him, Kyuubi/Naruto was holding him by the neck, his elongated claws digging into the legendary ninja's neck…When all of a sudden the vicious red eyes of the Kyuubi turn blue…

***In Naruto's Mindscape***

Slowly, Naruto stood; he felt as though he had just been stabbed… oh wait, he did.

It only took him a second to recognize where he was. He had only been there once but it was a time he would never forget. However, if he thought it was bad before…then damn!

The once giant blue lake of chakra was boiling with angry red chakra…the dam that held the fox at bay was gone, just a floating seal holding back a viciously laughing Nine Tailed Fox…

"**Hahahahaha! Just two more minutes and I will be free to roam the world for the first time in over 100 years…And it's your entire fault! Hahahahaha!**"

Naruto's eyes went wide for two reasons…One, the Kyubbi was going to escape. Two, he had been locked up for over 100 years…that was news to him.

"I won't allow it…"

Kyubbi's smile just got even more vicious.

"**You say something? **_**Boy!**_"

Naruto stood tall, and turned hard, blue eyes towards the giant fox.

"I SAID! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

Naruto stood tall, the blue and red water both, bending to his will.

Holding out his hand, the two color water blended together, forming his sword.

The Kyubbi could only watch, shocked as the human before him was powerful enough to command his chakra. There had only been one other human to ever be able to do that, and he had been dead for many millennia.

Naruto admired the power coming from the giant purple sword.

"It's over Kyubbi. I won't allow you to hurt anyone I care about!"

Naruto jumped as high as he could, making it at least 50 feet over the Kyubbi.

The demon fox could do nothing but watch as the boy plunged his sword deep into his skull, causing the fox more pain than it could ever remember.

"REMEMBER THIS NEXT TIME YOU TRY AND ESCAPE! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

With that, Naruto jumped back as the fox's chakra rejoined him in the seal, converging at his wound in order to heal him.

Jiraiya could only watch, shocked as all eight tails of chakra began to disappear.

"H-how?"

Naruto's blue eyes looked at the man in front of him.

"Your nose looks funny, Jiraiya."

Without another word, Naruto was unconscious.

"**I wonder why The Great Toad Sage forbid you to teach him summoning. He would be an incredible summoner.**"

Jiraiya just looked to the two elderly toads on his shoulders.

"Speaking of that, you think you can find out why?"

Fukusaka shrugged.

"**We can ask, but you know how the senile old bastard it. He probably won't remember what we're talking about.**"

Jiraiya nodded as the two toad bid him goodbye before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Th-that's…"

Jiraiya nodded to Tsunade who was slowly approaching him.

"W-why is he a Kiri nin?"

Jiraiya shrugged.

"He was hated in Konoha, Sarutobi-sensei sent him to Kiri as part of the alliance."

"O-oh…"

Jiraiya, comforted her, using one of his rare, non-perverted smiles.

"It's ok Hime, he's happy. He is married to a woman he loves. He has 'parents' that love him, even if they'll never admit it."

"H-he's married?"

Jiraiya nodded.

"Why did he come here?"

Now Jiraiya looked down sadly.

"His wife is in critical condition, the medics in Konoha refuse to attempt to heal her because they know she will die."

"What is wrong with her?"

"Her Aorta Arch was severed."

Tsunade's eyes widened.

"H-how?"

"The snake bastard's little protégée."

Tsunade spoke in a surprised whisper.

"Chakra Scalpel"

Jiraiya nodded.

"How is she alive?"

Jiraiya stood up in front of his teammate.

"She is from Kiri's Yuki clan, allowing her control over ice. She froze her body before the damage progressed too far. The medics said she had about forty seconds after she was defrosted…"

Tsunade's eyes went wide. All this seemed too familiar.

"Dan died from a severed Aorta Arch. His was the fastest I had ever done. That one took me 44 seconds… I don't know if I can do it."

"You _must _try. For your Godson."

They both knew pointing that out, was a low blow. But she had been grieving her own losses and hadn't even seen either Minato or Kushina in years when she had heard. She just added them as others that she mourned.

"I-I'll try."

Jiraiya smiled.

"Are you well enough to travel?"

Tsunade's eyes went wide.

"Now?"

Jiraiya smirked.

"The kid will be insufferable if he is awake during the trip back. Let's make it while he's quiet."

She just gave her perverted teammate an amused nod.

Jiraiya summoned a frog the size of an elephant and all four rode back towards Konoha, with Tsunade keeping an eye on Naruto. Something Jiraiya was very thankful for. Because he has so rarely used his demon's chakra, his body in not accustomed to it, causing a lot of damage.

Even after the long trip to Konoha, Naruto was still out. However, Tsunade assured Jiraiya that everything was alright.

As soon as she arrived, Sarutobi and the council greeted her, Jiraiya had told her they wanted her to consider becoming Hokage during the trip and she still wasn't sure about it.

"Shut up! Before I do anything, I'm healing this boy's wife, along with anyone else that needs emergency attention…Understand?"

Knowing the woman's temper, everyone just nods.

"Good"

Tsunade and Shizune just began to make their way to the hospital, a determined fire in Tsunade's eyes.

**That is it for Ch. 10! Finally after 6 months this chapter is over! **

**-Just so there is no confusion. No, Naruto can't control the Kyubbi at all. He merely distracted the beast long enough so it missed its opportunity to overtake his body.**

**-This is straight off of Wiki, so it could be wrong. The Aorta Arch is basically the 'intersection' of most of your main arteries. I don't imagine it taking long to bleed out if that was damaged.**

**Please Review! Let me know what you thought!**

**Chapter 11 should be posted next Friday, but unfortunately shit happens. If not Friday, then definitely by Sunday. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please let me know.**


	11. Thunderstorms in Katabami

**I'll tell you now, this is going to be the Curry of Life arc. I know the timing is wrong but I don't care. Since it is right after Tsunade returns, Lee is still injured. I couldn't think of another rookie to add. Anyways, I really just wanted to let you know, that I've never actually seen the arc. I don't own any of the dvds and couldn't find one online that would actually work so if it's wrong, bear with me.**

"**Demonic Speech/Justu"**

"Speaking."

Written text/Non-verbal communication(Hand signals)

'_Thinking._'

**Chapter 11**

**Thunder Storms in Katabami**

A very sore and groggy Naruto slowly opens his eyes, only to have to close them because of the bright light.

'_W-what happened? Where am I? The last thing I remember…Oh yea, I was fighting Kabuto then…'_

In a flash of movement, he was upright, something he regretted when he felt that his stomach was still tender.

"Lay down Brat!"

He quickly turned to the voice, he saw she was really beautiful; she had light brown eyes, straight blonde hair in two ponytails. Not to mention, she had the largest bust he had ever seen.

"Eyes up here brat, I don't think your wife would appreciate it. Although, even I have to admit, she is lacking in that department."

Naruto's face turned red slightly at what she was implying. He had barely even given them a passing glance, he liked Haku's, she was petite and something about how he could wrap her in his arms made him smile.

However, at his first thought of Haku, his mind starts racing and he begins to try and sit up, ignoring the pain.

"Hey! Stop moving Brat!"

Tsunade begins to try and forcefully restrain the boy from moving but he wasn't making it easy.

"You want to do it like this, ok."

With a mere tap to the boy's neck, his entire body shut down.

"What the hell are you doing!?"

With the exception of his mouth.

The medic sent the boy an annoyed glare, obviously fed up with his shouting.

"If you would have listened I would have told you. Haku will be fine in a few weeks."

Guarded hope could be seen in the boy's eyes.

"Yes, now we have to do just a few more tests on her in the room she is in now, and we will be bringing her up. Can I trust you to stay here, even though the fox healed your wound the poison did a number on you."

Looking at the woman's eyes, Naruto sighed and nodded.

"The Mizukage needed to get back to Kiri so it is just you two until I clear her. Your teammate wanted to stay, but they made him go. Sarutobi was given permission to send you on short missions. Just to let you know."

Naruto didn't even process that Tsunade had said anything.

"How long?"

Tsunade shrugged slightly, already know what he was talking about.

"She should be up within the next day or two but won't be ready to travel for about a month."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"A month?!"

"What? Don't think you can handle little ol' me for a month?"

Looking slightly more composed and serious, Naruto responded with a shake of his head.

"It isn't you…I am hated here. You know, it was two hours after my arrival that everyone began to recognize me, they made sure they glared extra hard after that."

Tsunade gave him a small, sad smile.

"Well, you should know, I don't think that will be the case anymore."

Naruto just raised an eyebrow, trying not to let his emotions get to him.

"Why?"

"During the council meeting, one of the more _ignorant _councilmen wanted to vote to have you executed…_Fool…_ anyways, much to everyone's shock, there were a few that refused to even put the subject to vote, stating that should any harm be brought to you, they will be leaving Konoha. Stating that as a whole, they had caused enough pain to you and that it was time to repent."

Naruto's eyes were saucers. Not even able to understand what was being said.

"Apparently, during the invasion, you fought the One-tailed Jinchuuriki…Well, the group that had been there, consisted of some of the councilmen's families. They apparently like to arrive together. At first they didn't believe that you had saved them from a Demon, but, with all their families' words, coupled with Jiraiya's and Sarutobi's…well, you get the idea."

Naruto was shocked…

'_Maybe there is room in my heart for this village.'_

With a small smile on his face, Naruto closed his eyes to go back to sleep, his thoughts drifting to Haku.

Deep in the Land of Sound, a painful cough could be heard.

"Please, Orochimaru-sama. You must calm down. The more stress you put on your body, the faster it will deteriorate."

The sound of flesh hitting flesh sounded throughout the base.

Kabuto stumbled backwards several steps, a growing bruise on his cheek.

Orochimaru was glaring death at his assistant, a bit of blood trailing from the Sennin's mouth.

"Do not presume to lecture me on that which I already know."

Kabuto bowed his head slightly, knowing better than to tempt his master.

"Now, get me the strongest ninja we have here."

Kabuto merely nodded and went to do as his master told him.

As Kabuto walked down the dank corridors of the hidden base, Kabuto couldn't help but think about Orochimaru's current status.

'_As he is, there is no way he will be able to take over Guren's body, she is the strongest here but her chakra would be to powerful and that could possibly kill him. I suppose I will have to grab one of the Chunin. But who? Ahhhh, Pakaran should do, strong enough to not raise Orochimaru-sama's suspicion, but not so strong as to cause him trouble. I'm sure he will also enjoy having the chakra control of a puppeteer, as well.'_

Having come to a decision, Kabuto made a left towards the barracks.

Just like Tsunade said, later that day, they wheeled Haku into his room, close enough to his bed so he could hold her hand as they both slept.

The next morning had the blonde getting dressed in his usual clothes, finally being released by Tsunade. However, he didn't go very far, sitting at Haku's side the whole time. He was just waiting to hear her voice.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait too long as the next day, Haku woke up, though she could barely talk and was very sore, she was alive and well, that alone brought tears to Naruto's eyes.

For the next three days, he only left her side to relieve himself and bring them both food that wasn't from the hospital.

Unfortunately, duty calls.

"Let's go brat! The Hokage wants to see you, he has a mission for you. It will be good for you, get some fresh air."

Naruto didn't stand up, refusing to leave but Haku grasped his hand.

Haku gave Naruto a kind smile. She spoke, but her voice was still raspy and broken.

"Go. Good luck Naruto-kun, be safe."

Naruto looked at his wife, concern written on his face.

"Are you sure? I'm sure I could convince Saruto-"

Naruto was silenced by a kiss.

"Go."

Naruto smiled down at his wife before giving her one last kiss on the lips and leaving.

Haku sighed when he left. This was going to be a _long _month.

'_I may not be able to really practice, but maybe Tsunade-sama can tutor me in other aspects of medical ninjutsu.'_

It was taking some getting used to, but word of his heroic deed had indeed gotten around, and most of the civilians looked at him with a conflicted look, guarded respect with a hint of fear, it was different, but not unwelcome.

As Naruto walked up to the Hokage's door, he could hear some shouting from inside.

'_That's impressive. To be able to hear outside, even through the seals, I doubt Sakura could be that loud…On second thought…'_

Naruto was barely able to make out what they were saying.

"Hokage-sama! You can't do that!"

Now his interest was piqued. Very few people could get away with speaking to 'The God of Shinobi' that way.

"Do not tell me what I can and can't do. You were an allied nation and conspired with one of our greatest enemies. We have every right to end any negotiations of a re-alliance. Now, should you agree, Suna, Konoha and Kiri will maintain a non-aggression pact for six months, at which point, we will discuss a re-alliance."

Though he was unable to hear the rest of the conversation, he imagined that whoever it was, apologized profusely.

A few minutes later, a man he recognized immediately stormed out of the room. He was the Suna nin that was attacking the proctor, Baki if he remembered correctly.

As soon as the two locked eyes, Naruto could feel the killing intent rolling of the Suna nin in waves.

Baki was barely able to keep his anger in check and stormed from the Hokage tower.

Naruto walked into the Hokage's office, slightly confused.

"Is he still upset that I kind of ruined their plans? I figured with them being deceived by Orochimaru, they wouldn't be so sore."

The old Hokage sighed tiredly. Since the invasion, he had been busier than he had been since the Kyubbi attack.

"I'm afraid that he isn't angry at you per say. With the fragile state of Kiri, the Mizukage refuses to be allied with Suna, it is understandable. Kiri definitely understands the ninja's way of life and normally wouldn't think twice about it. However, she is unwilling to risk Kiri's restoration."

After a few moments of silence, Naruto spoke, unsure.

"So basically, because we refuse to be allied with them, you can't be allied with them, with the broken alliance, normally a few kick-backs and bam, new alliance that is stronger than ever. However, because you are allied with us, you must get our approval, which it's easy to see that Mei-sama refused."

Sarutobi nodded tiredly.

Naruto appeared to be in thought, before shrugging. It was Mei's decision and he could respect her desire to avoid potentially dangerous alliances.

"So, the old hag said you have a mission for me?"

Sarutobi had a dumbfounded look on his face before gave up trying to figure the blonde out.

'_To be able to get away with calling Tsunade Senju such a thing… My boy, how do you do it?'_

"Yes, I suppose I do. Firstly, I would like to congratulate you. Normally there would be a ceremony but we are very busy with rebuilding. Mizukage-dono left this for you."

Naruto couldn't keep the grin off his face when the Hokage handed him a gray flak jacket that the boy wasted no time in put on, strapping Kubikiribocho to the back. He couldn't stop himself from checking himself out in the mirror in the back of the room.

"Very nice Naruto-kun. I knew you could do it. Now, as for this mission, three men were found in the woods surrounding Konoha by Anbu. They were all unconscious and any attempts at awakening them have failed. They did however have a scroll with basic mission details. It is located in Katabami Kinzan, it is home to a particularly rich gold mine. Apparently a small group of bandits have taken control. The scroll said 9 men. This mission is labeled as B-rank with potential to increase, pay will be provided accordingly."

Naruto gave a nod as he took in the details.

"Who is my team?"

A small smirk crossed the old man's face.

"You will lead this mission consisting of yourself, Tenten Higurashi, and Neji Hyuuga."

A smile made its way across his face.

Knock Knock

Sarutobi turned to the door with a frown for a second before it disappeared and a smile took its place.

"Enter."

The door opened to reveal both, Neji and Tenten.

The three shared friendly greetings.

Naruto looked around a little more before realizing something.

"Where's Lee?"

Neji shook his head.

"He's still unconscious. Tsunade-sama just finished his operation yesterday. She will have to sedate him for 2 weeks to insure he doesn't injure himself again and after that, it will be another week before he can even start light training."

Naruto nodded, Haku had told him spine injuries were very tricky.

The room had become very somber, thinking about Lee. However, Tenten was quick to rectify that by hitting Naruto in the arm.

"What the hell! You didn't tell us you made Chunin."

Naruto smiled.

"I didn't know, I just got this a few minutes ago. Looks good though, huh."

Tenten gave the blonde a once-over before shrugging.

"Meh, it could be worse."

That earned the girl a light shove, right into Neji who sent a mock glare to the two.

The Hokage cleared his throat loudly, amusement clearly dancing in his eyes.

"Now, if you're done bantering, I believe you three have a mission to get to."

The three gave the Hokage a short bow before walking out.

Naruto looked at the two.

"Are you two prepared for a mission that could take up to two weeks?"

Tenten smirked and Neji shook his head before clueing Naruto in.

"Tenten carries enough supplies to last two years, I think we'll be ok."

Naruto looked at the girl like she was insane before shrugging, he accepted that she was less than sane a long time ago. The three ran across the roof tops at a quick pace, heading for the exit.

As soon as they were out of the village, Naruto began going over the plan.

"Ok, our first priority will be recon, get a scope of the terrain, numbers, hostages, and ID any potential threats. However, we need info before we engage, that means don't get caught."

The two were in ninja-mode and simply agreed.

After traveling at a fair pace for 7 hours, Naruto raised his hand, his teammates instantly becoming alert. Using basic hand signals, Naruto communicated with his team.

Fall back and keep silent

With nothing more than a nod, the two slowly and carefully made their way in the direction they had come from.

They had been moving for ten minutes when Naruto requested Neji to search their surroundings.

With a surge of chakra, Neji began searching, his eyes seeing everything around them for 8 km.

It took Neji a considerable amount of time to search the entire area, at which point, both Naruto and Tenten took defensive positions around him.

After 10 minutes, Neji's Byakugan faded.

"We are clear."

With a sigh of relief Naruto sat down.

"What was the meaning behind this? Would you mind explaining why my Byakugan was unable to see into the town?"

Naruto sat up straighter, his face was stone, running over all the possibilities.

"Explain."

Neji sat across from the blonde, Tenten sitting next to Neji.

"I had no problems searching the entire area, but there seemed to be a dome around the village, disrupting my abilities."

Naruto was in deep thought.

"We were close enough that I could hear the voices in town. One of the voices alerted another to our presence, how many of us there were, chakra capacity and the equipment we held. The fact that we haven't been attacked means that either they didn't believe him, which is unlikely, or that they are arrogant enough to think we are no match. I fear they may have a skilled shinobi with a doujutsu other than the Byakugan or Sharingan. Now it also seems as though they have something capable of countering the Byakugan. This is disturbing."

Neji and Tenten were both amazed at Naruto's hearing. They had been over 200 yards from the village and he could still hear them speak.

"What is our plan of attack?"

Naruto didn't know what to say…

"I don't know. They have someone that has some sort of sensor ability and was able to locate us from so far away. I hate going in blind. We will be out numbered, out informed and possible out classed. With so many variables, I am placing this mission at A-rank, possibly S-rank. To have so little information and being unable to ascertain such information, I'm initiating a vote. If you wish to continue the mission, majority rules. My vote is to continue."

Neji and Tenten seemed to be in deep thought before Tenten spoke.

"I vote to return to the village with these details so a proper team may be established. We are neither experienced enough nor properly equipped."

Naruto nodded, not thinking anything less of the bun-haired girl, both turned to Neji, his vote would decide.

"My vote is to continue, it may be illogical, but I must know what has the ability to counter the Byakugan so effectively."

Naruto and Tenten both nodded, neither holding a grudge of any sort.

"Ok, we will fall back another 3 miles and set up camp, I know there is still several hours of daylight, but I want us to be rested before we attempt entering the town."

With a simple nod, the three made their way back.

*In Kiri

Mei sighed as she sat back in her chair, the pile of paperwork in front of her never-ending.

"Ugh, I've only been back for two days and I already wish I was back on that roof, battling the deceased Hokages."

Mei couldn't help but reminisce about the battle; it was the second hardest battles she ever fought.

'_A close second to defeating Yagura in his three-tailed cloak.'_

With a sigh, Mei read through another mission report. It was a B-rank mission to The Land of Hot Water, merely guarding a wealthy business man while he conducted some meetings.

With an air of boredom, she continued to read.

The client's business was concluded without trouble and we made our way to an inn. Upon making it to the inn, the client went straight to his room, my team set up a rotating shift, 2 on 2 off. However, roughly 2 am, there was a disturbance. Worried they were there to target out client, myself and Hochi proceeded to check out the disturbance, the other members of my team remaining on guard duty. 

It was a short trip to the noise. We were right in the fact that it was a ninja battle, but it had nothing to do with our client. There was four nins with a symbol I have never encountered before. It was a music note. They seemed to be pursuing one nin, we were too far away to see details, but he appeared to be of average build with white hair. During the skirmish, I noticed a strange ability. I watched as the boy dissolved into water before reforming. 

Before we could gather any more information on the fighters, a radio call for back-up arrived and we were forced to engage our own battle, defending the client-

The report went on for several more pages, but she merely reread one paragraph, her eyes wide.

'_White hair and dissolved into water.'_

"ANBU!"

In a blur, a ninja appeared, he wore a black cloak with a blank white mask.

"Get me Ao!"

Naruto overlooked their small camp, taking one last look to make sure nothing was left behind. The sun would begin rising in a matter of minutes and were hoping to be at the village before the civilians woke up.

"I hope you're ready for combat, I can feel it already."

Neither Neji nor Tenten made much of a response, Neji's eyes continued to stare into the distance absently, while Tenten twirled four kunai in each hand, one ring around each finger.

With but a glance to his comrades, Naruto silently took to the trees, making a b-line for the village, stealth all but forgotten.

Naruto halted his team with a fist, the three came to a stop and spread out, Naruto drew his sword, Neji dropped into his Gentle Fist stance and Tenten never put the kunai down, ready to let them fly.

Suddenly, people started dropping from the trees. When it seemed as though the last had come, there was 10 in total, each wearing the same thing. Long black jackets and brown pants, white bandages wrapped around their ankles and wrists. They each also had a set of gloves on.

The apparent leader stepped forward.

"Tch. You ninja have a lot of nerve stepping onto the Kurosuki Family territory."

Nobody noticed Naruto twitch slightly at the name.

"If you return to where you come from, you will be spared. However, if you continue, we will be forced to kill you."

Slowly, a smirk made its way onto Naruto's face.

"I like option c."

The man glared at the blonde. To make it seem more frightening, claws shot from the man's gloves.

"There is no opti-"

**Squelch!**

Naruto's smirk never left his face as the man was separated into two at the waist.

"There is always an option c."

The 9 looked at Naruto, shocked.

Because their attention was on him, they noticed his nod.

The 9 tensed, but it didn't help.

"**Eight Trigrams: 64 palms!**"

The entire group's attention turned to Neji, their eyes wide as he appeared in front of them.

"**Two palms!**"

He hit the closest member to him twice, he happened to be the largest of them all.

"**Four Palms!**"

Four more times.

"**Eight Palms!**"

Neji nailed the same man with eight more hits, sending him flying into a tree, blood leaking from his mouth. However, the brunette never faltered, his target was now the man to his right.

"**Sixteen Palms!**"

The tall man that was Neji's target could only stare as Neji's hands were blurs, each hitting a different part of his torso. When Neji finished, the man simply slumped to the ground.

The Kurosuki family could only pray he was done. Unfortunately for them, he wasn't.

"**Thirty-two Palms!**"

With hands in a blur, the only woman in the Kurosuki family was killed instantly.

"**Sixty-four Palms!**"

Seeing the pattern, if only vaguely, the rest of the family shot the claws from their gloves and started swinging, one of which was rewarded with a grunt of pain. Unfortunately, he was also rewarded with a swift death, 64 palm strikes ending his life.

Tenten watched the fight with interest. She was surprised when one of them got Neji's right cheek with a thin scratch.

"Just think, you went from 10 to 5 in less than 35 seconds."

The remaining five looked at each other, fear in their eyes.

However, one brave man stepped forward.

"We are the Kurosuki Family! We will never surrender! Hey! Let's see how they handle… **Black Tornado!**"

Their courage reborn, the five remaining fighters got a determined look on their face. The man that spoke got into a sturdy looking stance.

The remaining four nodded and took off running, one right behind the other. It was only a few seconds until all five were sitting on each other's shoulders, each glaring towards the ninja.

They spoke in sync.

"Prepare to feel the wrath of the Black Tornado!"

They each held out their arms, claws extended as the man on bottom began to spin, slowly at first but quickly getting faster.

It wasn't long before what was in front of them was a tall, black tornado with five streaks of silver.

Naruto turned to Tenten and she nodded at his unspoken order.

Eight kunai, all aimed directly for the bottom man's legs were thrown.

The three ninja were surprised when the kunai bounced back, not pericing the man's legs.

"Neji, are they using some sort of barrier or chakra?"

With them being outside the town still, his Byakugan worked perfectly.

"No, the man is merely spinning so fast that it is creating a wall of wind, the kunai were just thrown off course."

Naruto nodded.

"Hear that Tenten, just a little wind."

A vicious smirk crossed the bun-haired girl's face.

"I can take care of that!"

Tenten jumped into the air and pulled out a scroll. It seemed to levitate in the air next to her before she hit it and channeled chakra into the back.

Suddenly, before Naruto's and Neji's eyes, a single, large ball with a dozen 2 inch spikes on the outside emerged, a two foot length of chain was attached at one point.

Tenten didn't delay in grabbing the chain.

Slowly at first, Tenten had the ball spinning over her head, spinning just as fast as her opponents.

"This fight is over!"

When Tenten released the weapon, it flew straight at the chest of the bottom person; it never stopped and plowed right into him. The five people wound up in a pile of limbs when he was knocked out from underneath the others. The spiked ball attached to his chest, piercing him in four areas.

The four men who only took a fall made their way to their feet, barely glancing at their dying comrade.

They were shocked and afraid.

"S-she beat the Black Tornado! That's impossible!"

Tenten's hands moved to form a hand seal.

"Goodbye."

An explosion rocked the area, the source, the ball with spikes.

When the dust cleared, it was a truly gruesome sight. The man that had the ball stuck to him was blown to pieces; his body was a pile of burned gore. The others had severe burns and painfully bleeding wounds all over from shrapnel.

With mercy, Tenten threw a single kunai at each of the groaning men.

The three waited, using their own sensing methods. After a few minutes nobody came. The three exchanged a nod and took off running once again.

*With Haku

"So, you store poison in here so that when you can fire poison senbon quickly and without any warning."

Shizune nodded, a small smile on her face as Haku inspected her normally hidden weapon. Shizune nodded, putting the chart down.

"You seem to be healing very quickly. Don't quote me on it, but you may be fit to travel in as little as 3 weeks."

A smile overcame Haku's face.

"That would be nice. Don't get me wrong, I like you and Tsunade, but I miss my home."

Shizune gave a knowing smile.

"Don't worry, I fully get you on that one. Being on the road was fun, but it is great to be home."

Shizune and Haku had become fast friends with Shizune tutoring Haku on the academic part of being a medic nin seeing as she was unable to use chakra or get out of bed.

*With Naruto and Team

The three young ninja arrived in the center of the town, they were shocked that they hadn't been attacked yet.

Their shock only grew when they arrived. It was a ghost town.

"Neji, I can hear them inside, what are they doing?"

Neji's veins bulged as he activated his Byakugan.

"Gah!"

Neji's hands flew up to his face, covering his eyes.

"What happened?"

"So…bright."

Tenten looked around worriedly.

"What's going on?"

Naruto stayed silent for a few more minutes before responding.

"They sound afraid."

Suddenly, Naruto's head shot to the side, Tenten quickly tried to catch a glimpse of what had him so jumpy.

She barely even saw a blur.

"Damn, we were being watched. I don't know for how long."

Tenten looked at Naruto with concern.

"You mean you didn't hear them?"

Naruto's head shook.

"Not until they spoke."

Neji's voice cut through the silence.

"Can you track them?"

Taking a second, Naruto nodded.

"Then let's go. I need to find out what it is that caused this."

Neji didn't need to elaborate for the others to know he was talking about his eyes.

With a sigh and nod, Naruto took off in pursuit of their stalkers.

They found them relatively quickly; they were strangely enough in a make-shift graveyard. The head stones were nothing more than boards with names engraved in them.

A soft voice barely reached their ears.

"You were right Raiga, they would come."

A maniacal laugh pierced the air like an arrow.

"So, what was it like? Did you cut off his arms and then his legs and watch him bleed? Maybe you submerged him underwater and watched with glee as he drowned! Tell me! Oh! Please tell me you buried him alive! That would make me so happy! How did that fucker die!?"

The voice sounded absolutely insane. It sent a chill up the young ninjas' spines.

Naruto's hand gripped the hilt of Kubikiribocho so tight that his knuckles went white.

"So, I was right. When your goons kept talking about the Kurosuki family, I couldn't help but hope that you wouldn't lower yourself so much. Looks like Zabuza was right. You are nothing but an insane child with bloodlust."

The second the name 'Zabuza' was left Naruto's lips, sparks of electricity began to coming from Raiga's body. (Think SS3 Goku)

'_Zabuza wasn't kidding when he said that Raiga hated him. Then again, I'd probably hate someone that told me I was useless and would never achieve my dream. Especially when he had already achieved the same dream.'_

"I'm going to kill you with a smile!"

In an instant, Raiga drew the Kiba and charged, both swords glowing with power.

*With Mei

Mei stared straight at Ao as he read the same report that she had finished 2 hours earlier.

"So?"

It seemed as though Ao was going to say something, but he wisely kept his mouth shut as he finished.

"It seems possible. When Mangetsu was thought to be dead, Suigetsu ran. He and his brother were inseparable. They had the same dream and the same drive. It was only luck that led to Mangetsu taking the spot on the seven instead of Suigetsu."

Mei nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I owe… _We _owe…Hell, _Kiri _owes Mangetsu much more than saving his brother if the fact that he resisted is anything to go by."

Ao could only nod as both his and Mei's thoughts drifting back to that fateful day.

_*Flashback*_

_Mei, Ao and Mangetsu ducked quickly inside one of the many war-torn buildings near the Mizukage tower. Its second story offered them a perfect vantage point to survey the tower._

_Mei turned to Ao with a smile._

"_The Grand Elder did it. With his fake intel, Yagura sent 90% of his troops to the Eastern Base."_

_They discreetly watched as the single Anbu made his third round of the Mizukage tower, his eyes scanning everything. _

_With wide eyes, the rebellion could only watch as a second Anbu stopped, right below the window they were looking out of._

_He gestured for the other man to join him._

"_Anything yet?"_

_The patrolling Anbu shook his head._

"_Not yet sir. However, I don't imagine anything happening, after the last battle, the rebellion was forced to retreat deep into the Eastern Forests. Even if they managed to mount an attack it would take them days to arrive."_

_The seemingly older Anbu nodded._

"_I know, that's wh-"_

_Neither loyalist Anbu could continue their conversation when Ao silently landed behind them, landing a palm strike to both of their heads. Their brains now resembled mush._

_Before their bodies could even hit the ground, Mangetsu silently dropped behind one, while Mei dropped behind the other, catching them before they could make any noise._

_The two jumped back, landing silently in the room they just occupied and laid the bodies in a corner, out of the way._

_The three nodded to each other and began the plan._

_They silently made their way up to the second story window of the Mizukage tower, which was a mission assignment room and would be unoccupied and unguarded._

_Turning to Ao, Mei used hand signs to tell him to find a clear path. Unfortunately, while there were only a few shinobi there, they were pretty spread out._

_They found a path that only had one person between them and the Mizukage_.

_The three took off, quickly and quietly, Ao leading them to their destination, each thinking the same thing._

'Today, the Mizukage dies!'

_The three made their way through the Mizukage tower without incident. However, it didn't take too long to arrive at the stairs, what they saw had all three of them stopped dead in their tracks._

_A man stood at the bottom of the stairs, he had shoulder length silver hair and a manic grin on his face. He was none other than Gin Akush, only member of the new seven swordsman to stay loyal._

"_Oh, would you look at that, little Manny is here. How does it feel? Master every one of the seven, only to have them all taken, never getting to truly wield one." _

_As though to accent his point, Gin pulled Hiramekarei from his back. Mangetsu merely smirked as he drew a kunai._

"_Before today is over, I will wield that blade. You don't deserve to hold it. Mei, Ao, go. I'll take him."_

_Both Mei and Ao looked at Mangetsu, concerned._

"_But…"_

_However, Mangetsu was hearing none of it._

"_Just go. But, if something happens to me, look for my brother in my stead. Help him with his dream."_

_Mei could only nod before she took off running, Gin not even attempting to stop the two._

_That was the day that the Mizukage perished. It was also the day Mangetsu Hozuki died with Hiramekarei in his hands._

_*End Flashback_

Both Ao and Mei shook their heads to get back on track.

"Hmmm, I have read reports of Kisame Hoshigaki being sighted in the Land of Hot Water. Perhaps we should send a team to investigate. We have already received permission to hunt missing nin on their territory as long as we pay for any damages caused by the fighting."

A smile crossed Mei's face.

"Yes, I agree, but send them with the mission of intel. Unless they have a sure opportunity they are not to engage. We cannot risk failure."

*With Naruto

Both blades of Kiba clashed against the hulking figure of Kubikiribocho. Naruto wasted no time in disengaging and jumping back, looking at his sword as he did. It looked like a dog had taken two bites out of it.

'_Damn, the Kiba really do live up to their reputation.'_

With only a slight surge of chakra, blood seeped from the damaged areas and the blade reformed. It happened just in time, as Raiga was bearing down on him once again, the Kiba alit with power.

"Yes! I'm going to kill you!"

Once again, the Kibas took a bite out of Kubikiribocho. However, this time, Naruto landed a kick to the missing nin's chest.

Using the much needed break, Naruto stabbed his sword into the ground and flew through and seals.

"**Water Release: Water Bullet Jutsu!**"

Bulging his cheeks, Naruto shot three consecutive shots at Raiga. However, the man simply slashed through them with his swords.

That was when they heard the soft voice once again.

"Watch out, behind you."

Raiga turned around, already bringing both of his swords into a cross-block.

The full weight of Kubikiribocho was enough to force Raiga to a knee. A smirk crossed Naruto's face as he used his momentum to swing his leg forward, landing a solid kick to Raiga's face. The force of the kick sent the man staggering back, his nose bloody and involuntary tears in his eyes.

'_I'm gaining ground. The Kiba can only cut through Kubi if it is a head-to-head hit.'_

Using the man's disorientation to his advantage, the second Naruto's feet hit the ground he was moving.

Tenten and Neji stood off to the side, Naruto asked them to sit this one out, but they wouldn't hesitate if they thought he was going to die. They watched as he closed the distance between them in seconds, his sword came around and they smiled, seeing the pink mist of Raiga's blood.

Naruto stared as his sword cut into the man's stomach. Everything was perfect, the spray of the blood, the sound of it hitting the ground, even Raiga's grunt of pain. However, one thing was off. Kubikiribocho wasn't absorbing the blood.

Instincts started screaming and Naruto ducked below…nothing. However, he did notice a single golden hair begin to fall.

With a prayer in his heart, Naruto slashed his sword straight up, his effort was rewarded when blood sprayed from the air.

The same soft voice from earlier spoke, his alarm was evident.

"Raiga!"

As though the world was made of glass, everything shattered. What was left was Raiga Kurosuki clutching the stump that had been his left arm.

"What the hell!? I never knew you could use Genjutsu, and a damn good one too."

Raiga was on a knee, his right hand was tying a tourniquet around his left arm, his breathing was labored and he was losing massive amounts of blood. The man's training was kicking in and it only took him seconds to complete the field dressing.

"I'll kill you!"

Leaving one of his swords behind, Raiga raised a single blade in the air.

Lightning began cracking all around the sword before gathering at the tip.

"**Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Jutsu!**"0

Naruto was barely able to dodge the incredibly fast attack.

Before his feet even hit the ground, a glow got his attention, another ball was forming on the tip of the man's sword.

"**Lightning Ball Jutsu!**"

Naruto blurred through hand seals.

"**Water Release: Water Encampment Wall Jutsu!**"

The water in the area surged around the blond, creating a protective cyclone, the lightning ball dissipated against the water.

As the water wall dropped, it revealed Naruto's hands blurring away as he formed seal after seal.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu!**"

Raiga's eyes could only widen as he saw the dragon rushing for him, he could do nothing as he was rooted to the ground with fear.

"I-it's just like Kisame's…"

Tenten and Neji watched as Raiga seemed to go into a sort of trance. He didn't even try to dodge. They watched as Naruto's giant, A-rank water dragon slammed into the man, its jaws clamping down on him, earning a scream of pain as the dragons head began to turn pink when the man's blood began to flow into it.

The attack finished when it slammed the man into a cliff, collapsing it on top of the ex-swordsman.

For several minutes, all is quiet, until a soft voice could be heard.

"R-raiga?"

There was no response.

"Raiga!"

None of the three were sure on what to do. Do they find the survivor and kill him or do they walk away, likely allowing him to die a slow and painful death.

With a nod, the three began moving the rocks in an attempt to find the two. It didn't take long before Neji found them, Raiga had obviously already bled out, if the puddle of blood that he was sitting in said anything. However, he was surprised by the other person, he was a young boy, no older than 7, and even small for such a young age. He had purple hair and his eyes seemed to have a maroon color to them. The young boy had blood leaking from his mouth.

His little hands were grasping at Raiga's shirt to the point of his knuckles turning white.

"R-raiga…why? No, you can't! I can't go on without you Raiga."

The boy entered a coughing fit, sending sprays of blood onto Raiga's face.

The three ninja watched as the unnamed boy slowly collapsed onto Raiga's chest, no longer able to support himself.

He rolled off the swordsman and glared deeply into Naruto's eyes, forcing every ounce of hat he could onto the blond.

"It's… Your… Fault…"

The light left the boy's maroon eyes, the anger and hate still plainly visible, even in death.

With a sigh, Naruto grabbed Raiga and gestured for Neji to grab Ranmaru, meanwhile, Tenten picked up both sides of the Kiba.

Naruto sealed the two bodies in a scroll but sealed the Kiba in a seal built into his arm before turning to his teammates.

"Kiri has an offered reward of 4 million to anyone who returns the Kiba, Shibuki or Samehada. However, I have no desire for it since I will benefit either way, the money is yours, and I'll make sure Mei-sama sends it to you."

Neji and Tenten were shocked. 4 million… That was like 4 S-rank missions…

*With Mei

"Well?"

Ao bowed to the Mizukage.

"Two of our best teams have been briefed and will be leaving first thing in the morning."

Mei nodded.

"Good, what teams are we sending?"

"Teams two and six. Both teams have exceptionally skilled trackers that are familiar with the unique signature of the Hozuki clan."

Mei just nodded and looked out the window, she would pray for them, something she had only found herself doing with Zabuza's team.

'_Heh, Its worked so far…'_

**Ok, that's it. I know stupid spot for the ending but I didn't want to go any further in this chapter and couldn't think of any other way to end it. Now, please review!**

**I have to admit, the fight between Naruto and Raiga sucked. Unfortunately, for my later plans with the Kiba, that is how the sword had to work. A good sword fight is hard to write when every swing takes a chunk out of your sword.**

**After reading through Ch. 10, I need to give Tsunade a moment. She got her ass kicked by Orochimaru, I'm gonna try and give her a time to shine, I just haven't decided when.**

**As for my next update, I hope for next Friday, but my schedule is already looking pretty packed, so if not then than by Sunday.**

**I thought I would go through the abilities of the swords displayed so far in my story.**

**Kubikiribocho-As it slays, it absorbs the blood that coats it, constantly repairing and re-sharpening it. A blade is never as sharp as the day it is forged, Kubikiribocho always is. On top of that, any extra blood is stored for later use in the case of any real damage. By channeling chakra into it, it will use the stored blood and instantly regrow. (I thought of this when my nephew was watching Dragonball Z. Just like when Piccolo regrows his arm, it happens quick, and with a shower of blood.)**

**Nuibari-Primary ability is its ability to pierce nearly anything; its piercing ability surpasses Kusanagi's ability to cut. Its secondary ability lies in the thread, with such a small diameter, unless a vital organ, hits are less likely to be fatal making it difficult to combat any large numbers, however, by tying multiple opponents together with thread, they kill themselves by trying to move causing the wire to cut deeply into muscle, flesh, and organs.**

**Kiba-It is widely believed that the Kiba is the sharpest sword in the world, that is false. It is no sharper than any standard sword. Its ability lies in the fact that any chakra channeled into it is converted to lightning chakra. Simply channeling chakra into it will increase its cutting power exponentially. A master of the sword is said to be able to use high level lightning ninjutsu through the sword without hand seals and for a fraction of the chakra cost.**

**Hiramekarei-Allows user to manifest their chakra into a solid form. Can only form solid objects(No guns or anything of the sort). The amount of chakra channeled dictates the density and size of the construct.**


	12. Just Killing Time and The Sound 4 Strike

**I would first, like to thank all the reviewers, whether it was just a few words or ideas for later chapters I appreciate your input!**

**This would make chapter 12. I hope you enjoy it. This chapter is exactly what the name says, this is just everyone during downtime. **

**I would like to thank everyone who added their choice to my question. Now, the winner is… Read and find out!**

**Chapter 12**

**Just Killing Time and the Sound Four's Strike**

Naruto stretched happily as he pulled Haku tighter to his body, inhaling her scent with a sigh.

The black haired girl turned over with a smile and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"So, what are your plans for today?"

Naruto shrugged and just buried his face into the crook of her neck.

"I think I'm just going to lay here next to you."

"Idiot."

Even though her term was rude, her tone was loving and the smile on her face would have made it obvious to a complete stranger that she loved him.

"I thought you were still dealing with the body of that boy."

A smile crossed his face.

"Nope! Mei-sama and Sarutobi-sensei came up with a deal with the Hyuuga clan. They have two weeks to do any tests and investigations for the next two weeks but in two weeks, we take the body with us."

She nodded in understanding.

"Ok, you can lay here all day if you want, but Tsunade-sama finally ok'd me to check out and I'm tired of this damn bed."

Without waiting for a response or acknowledgement, she stood, knocking the blonde from the small bed and sending him tumbling onto the floor.

"Hey! That was not…Hey nice tush."

Haku just turned her head as she slid her panties on, followed by pulling on some pants, making Naruto pout.

With a smile the raven haired girl turned around, giving him a full shot of her small but maturing breasts.

A sly smile made its way onto Naruto's face as he approached his wife. However, his elation was ended when he felt a slight sting on his forehead… It took him a minute to figure it out but…

"You flicked me!"

A full force pout quickly replaced the smile as she wagged her finger in front of him.

"Not now, I need to get out of this hospital before I go crazy."

Naruto nodded and chuckled as they both got dressed.

*Later

Naruto sighed contently as he walked hand in hand with Haku, his other hand happily rubbed his stomach. His antics got a giggle from his wife.

"What?"

Haku shook her head as she spoke.

"When I see you fight, or train, you are serious, composed and lethal, but get some ramen in your belly and you become a child."

The only response she got was a cheeky grin.

"So, you're out of the hospital, what do you want to do? Remember, you're on light duty, nothing strenuous."

Haku seemed to get in thought.

"Well, I should be able to do it, and you have been bugging me about learning my one handed seals."

Naruto looked at his wife like she was crazy.

"This is the first time you're up and about and you want to help me train?"

Haku shrugged as the two made their way to a training ground.

Two hours later, and Haku and Naruto were smiling and laughing as they both used only their right hand to race through the one-handed counterpart she created for the twelve basic hand seals.

As she was half way through, a wave of nausea over took her and she had a little difficulty steadying herself, Naruto was at her side in an instant.

"Come on, let's get you to bed."

The look she sent him was clear. 'If you try and make me lay down even more, you're going to regret it.'

"Ok, ok, at least sit down in the shade. You're not used to Konoha summers."

Though she wanted to refuse, sweat chose that moment to drop in her eye and she reluctantly nodded.

"Fine, you win. They don't call this the Land of Fire for nothing."

With that, she made her way to one of the many giant oak trees in the small training ground and sat down, watching as her husband flashed through hand seals repeatedly. He was good with his right hand, but he still had a lot of work to do to catch his left hand up.

A slightly perverted smile made its way to her face.

"Hand seals aren't all his left hand needs to work on, but his right hand… Oh the things his right hand can do."

Haku shook her head, trying to slow her now-racing heart. She did after all just have heart surgery and she was sure Tsunade would destroy both her and Naruto if the legendary medic's effort was wasted because she wanted to get naughty with her husband.

Haku continued to watch Naruto practice for nearly an hour before she found herself asleep, resting peacefully in the shade of the tree.

*Four hours after beginning training

Naruto smiled as his right hand flashed through the 12 basic hand seals. He was nearly average Chunin in the speed. However, his smile quickly faded when he began to do them with his left hand. They were slow and clumsy, slower than many academy students.

"Ahhh, Haku truly is a genius in her own right. She is the only ninja I have ever seen use those."

In an instant, Naruto turned, putting his finger to his lips before signaling to the sleeping Haku.

Kakashi nodded and Naruto spoke to his former sensei in a quiet voice.

"What can I do for you, Kakashi?"

The silver haired man sighed.

"I want to apologize. I was in charge of Team Seven for six months and I didn't teach you anything."

Naruto nodded.

"No, you didn't."

Kakashi's head lowered a little more.

"But you did nothing wrong. I'm not going to lie, when I was a member of Team Seven, I resented you. Actually, it may have even gone as far as to say hate. However, I've been on my current team for six months now and can say that as a team we can do things that we could never do alone. I stand by your decision to work on teamwork. Working as a team is really an incredible thing if you have all the right components."

Slowly, a smile made its way to Kakashi's face, at least his eye crinkled up to give the appearance of a smile.

"Thank you Naruto, that's been bugging me lately. I got a chance to train Sasuke, if only for a month, but I couldn't think of any way to make it up to you."

Naruto shrugged and an awkward silence overtook the area.

For several minutes, nobody said anything until Kakashi spoke.

"You know, I was at your fight in the finals."

Naruto glanced at the man, curious where he was going with that.

"Using two elements at one time is something that most Jonin can only dream about. While it was clumsy and poorly executed, not to mention that if it wasn't for your furry friend, your hand would have probably been numb for days. Anyways, you performed one of the most difficult feats a ninja can do, Collaboration Jutsu without the use of a kekkai genkai or a second user."

Naruto gave his former sensei a smirk.

"Well, I was chosen as a member of the new Seven Swordsman for a reason, they don't let weaklings in there."

Kakashi shook his head as he thought about the different members, Zabuza, Kisame, not to mention Naruto in his own right.

"No, no they don't."

The two were too lost in their conversation that Naruto was slightly startled when Haku placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Kakashi-san."

The raven haired girl gave the man a slight bow of the head, one that he reciprocated.

"Haku-san."

Haku's hand grasped Naruto's.

"So, what were you two talking about?"

Naruto gave the girl a small smile.

"Just burying some skeletons."

Haku nodded before kissing Naruto on the cheek.

"I'll let you two continue; I promised I would meet with Shizune to meet some of her friends for a girl's night."

Naruto nodded in understanding.

"If you think you'll be ok, I'd like to stay here and train a little longer."

She simply gave her husband a quick kiss before waving goodbye.

Kakashi smiled slightly at the two.

"You got yourself one hell of a woman."

Naruto barely even registered that he was speaking, just nodding along as he watched her leave.

When she was gone, Naruto barely caught that Kakashi had been speaking.

"Hmm, you say something?"

Naruto backed up a little when hearts appeared in Kakashi's eyes for a moment before calming down.

"Ahem, anyways, I was just saying that I could help you out a little with your lightning manipulation, no offense to Jiraiya-sama, but he does not possess an affinity to lightning and is not a user of lightning ninjutsu while I'm the most accomplished lightning user in Konoha.

Naruto gave the older man a smirk.

"That's pretty arrogant of you."

An eye smile was the only response he got.

"Alright Kakashi…sensei, let's do this."

The man nodded and took a seat, gesturing for Naruto to do so in front of him.

"I'll start off with how lightning chakra works, lightning chakra is created by forcibly vibrating your chakra, the faster it vibrates, the more powerful…"

*Meanwhile, with Haku

Haku and Shizune walked side by side, entering The Burnt Leaf, one of the quieter Shinobi bars in Konoha.

"Hey, Shizune!"

The two girls instantly saw the table, it was set up for six and four were present.

When they got closer, Haku instantly recognized them all from the Bingo Book. There wasn't a single person that Haku didn't recognize, having gone over Konoha ninja roster before leaving for the exams.

The closest one to them turned to Shizune.

"Damn girl, you're late! Hey, who's that?"

Who Haku saw first had her eyebrow twitching in aggravation.

"Hey, it's you! Mrs. Gaki!"

The whole table turned to the speaker.

"You know her Anko?"

The purple haired woman nodded with an eerie smile on her face.

"Yep, she was in the Chunin exams!"

Haku's eye still hadn't stopped twitching when she sat down on the opposite side as the laughing girl.

"Yes, and she was blatantly attempting to seduce my husband in my presence."

Each of the other girls sighed in exasperation. Meanwhile, Anko had on her most innocent look, it convinced no one.

"Don't worry about Anko, she has a sick sense of humor and meant nothing by it."

Haku turned to the girl sitting next to her, she too had purple hair but brown eyes, her eyes were nearly instantly drawn to a small tattoo on her shoulder.

'_Anbu'_

"Oh, yeah, well I'm Yugao Uzuki, that, as you already know is Anko Mitarashi, that's Kurenai Yuhi, and she is Hana Inuzuka."

The purple haired Anbu operative pointed to each and every one of the women at the table. Each gave either a small wave or a nod in return.

"It's nice to meet you all. It is nice to meet other women. I don't get to meet too many with the exception of Mei."

Yugao had been staring at her and it was beginning to unnerve Haku slightly.

"Is something the matter?"

Yugao shook her head and sighed.

"Your husband is Naruto Uzumaki, right?"

Haku nodded slowly, not sure where she was going with that.

"If either you or he ever needs anything from me, or Konoha Anbu, I will do everything in my power to make it happen, and my power runs deep."

Now Haku was shocked and her face made it obvious.

"Your husband saved my fiancé's life. Along with much of Konoha, thanks to the info we gathered."

Instantly Anko snapped her fingers.

"That blond brat is the one that saved Hayate and captured the Suna Jonin!? Damn, just wait until I tell Ibiki, you could probably get anything you needed out of the T&I division too. I had never seen Ibiki in such a good mood."

Haku just gave the other girls a smile, Naruto had told her of his encounter with the Suna Jonin.

*With Zabuza

A deep growl left Zabuza's lips as his target easily danced around his sword.

Zabuza's target jumped back, blurring through hand seals at an incredible speed.

"**Fire Release: Grand Fireball Jutsu!**"

Zabuza's eyes widened when a large fireball flew straight for him, instead of wasting the chakra to block the attack, Zabuza merely performed a substitution with a nearby branch.

Zabuza's target ducked low, just as his sword would have split her at the waste.

"You're good, but not good enough."

She sprang into the air, her knee slammed into Zabuza's jaw, sending him staggering back. However, this time she was surprised when he dissolved into water.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!**"

The woman turned around, her eyes widened before she merely smirked and formed a single hand seal.

"**Earth Release: Earth Wall Jutsu!**"

Slamming her hands into the ground, the woman tore up the earth, forming a jagged, hastily formed wall. Though misshapen and weak looking, the water dragon proved useless against its superior element.

When the attack ceased, the wall of earth collapsed, returning to the ground it came from.

The woman's eyes widened slightly when a wall of mist encased the entire area.

A smirk crossed Zabuza's face. Fear is such a wonderful tool.

"**Tut tut tut, you should really learn to control your heartbeat before I tear it out!**"

The woman's eyes shot to where the voice sounded from, only to feel steel press deeply into her back, severing her spine.

Her pained look never left her face as she slowly started to melt.

Zabuza's eyes widened when he felt intense heat coming from the woman in front of him. He knew it was over.

"Damn."

Zabuza felt a kunai tap against his neck, simply telling him he lost.

"So close Zabuza-kun, you just need to remember that while you're the best at Silent Killing, you're not the only one who knows it, and its weaknesses."

Zabuza's gruff voice had a hint of disappointment in it.

"Yeah, yeah, now give me a kiss."

A sexy smirk crossed Mei's face.

"That wasn't part of the deal."

A smirk of his own crossed Zabuza's face.

Mei knew that look and she also knew what it meant, it meant a night of near unbearable pleasure for them both.

*With Sasuke

Sasuke was panting heavily as he dropped to a knee, he was forcing every bit of chakra he possessed into his glowing hand, unfortunately, he didn't have enough and the obnoxiously loud lightning jutsu faded.

A smirk made its way onto Sasuke's face.

'_So, gathering the chakra is the hardest part. I can only form the Chidori twice before depleting my chakra, but I can keep it active for over ten minutes the first time.'_

Sasuke's smirk only grew as his crimson eyes looked around the training ground, trees had fallen and boulders were obliterated.

'_1,2,3…9.'_

"On top of the constant drain from keeping it active, every time it is actually used it takes a small chunk out of my reserves. That just means I need to train harder."

His face set into a scowl, Sasuke flashed through the hand seals he had been using a lot lately.

"**Chidori!**"

Lightning sparked around his hand, slowly building and forming his now-favorite jutsu.

A large amount of sweat was falling from Sasuke's head as he strained his chakra coils and charged the large tree in front of him.

He made it half way to his target when his Sharingan was forced to deactivate due to loss of chakra. However, Sasuke didn't allow that to stop him, he continued his charge.

Though weaker than his previous, the raven haired boy's fist plowed through the solid stone, not a second later, the lightning jutsu faded and Sasuke passed out, his fist still imbedded into the stone.

*With Chojuro

"Impressive boy, you have improved since the last time we fought."

Ao stood, his confidence never waving, across from the former Hunter-nin stood a boy of 15. His body heaved from his heavy breathing.

"I will beat you one day, Ao-sensei."

Ao made little response to the boy's threat.

"At your rate of improvement, I'll die of old age first."

It seemed that Ao's barb worked as Chojuro's sword burst to life.

Ao quickly substituted with a Water Clone he created earlier, just as the giant hammer slammed where he was standing.

'_Whether it is because of Uzumaki's influence or his team as a whole, it has made a good impression on the boy, his attitude is starting to befit a Kiri Shinobi. I have faith that you will go far, Chojuro. How far, is only up to you.'_

It took Chojuro no time to find Ao and the boy quickly raced towards him, his hammer ready to strike.

*With Orochimaru

The snake-like man stretched, attempting to get used to his new body.

'_Kabuto is not as foolish as I believed.'_

In an instant, the Sword of Kusanagi appeared in his hand, having come from his mouth.

"Yes, this body shall do. And soon, oh so soon I will have my precious Sharingan. I will be a true immortal."

Orochimaru threw the Kusanagi as hard as he could, the sword was buried to the hilt, straight through solid stone.

The Snake Sannin pointed a single finger at the blade was pleased when a thin blue line of chakra connected to the blade. In an instant the sword shot back to his hand.

"Yes, this will do nicely for now."

This whole time, Kabuto had been standing off to the side, silently praying that Orochimaru would find this body adequate for if he didn't, it would surly mean his life.

The Snake Sannin turned towards Kabuto and gave a slight nod, the message was clear.

'You live, for now.'

*With Teams 2 & 6

Six blurs formed into existence, each dressed identically, blank white masks with Kiri's symbol and grey Anbu armor.

The apparent leader turned to the others.

"Team Six, you know your objectives. You are to search for Kisame Hoshigaki, wielder of the Samehada and you are to do it loudly. Be seen, ask civilians. I want this whole country to know we were here on a tip of Kisame's presence."

Three of the members nodded before disappearing.

"Team Two, we have a much harder mission. Suigetsu Hozuki was believed to have been spotted in this area and is believed to be held against his will. We are to discover his location; under no circumstances are we to reveal our true objective. It is believed that Orochimaru of Konoha's Sannin is his captor. There is likely to be a hidden base in the area, this team was put together because you are three of Kiri's best sensors. This man's brother is directly responsible for the pleasant change in Kiri, we can't let that go unrewarded."

The last two members nodded, though they were trained to never show it, their captain's speech got them pumped up.

"Move out."

In a blur, the three were gone.

*With Naruto

"**Ninja Art: Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!**"

Naruto's eyes widened when the four shuriken turned into four thousand, the number of weapons blot out the sun.

With no other choice, Naruto quickly grabbed the sword from his back and slammed it into the ground, using its massive size to hide his body.

The sound of hundreds of pieces of metal hitting his sword nearly made him cringe.

Sarutobi smirked at his once student as he bit his thumb and blurred through hand seals.

"I suppose he deserves this. **Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma!**"

From his hiding spot, Naruto's eyes widened. Never before had Sarutobi summoned the monkey king to fight him.

Since the volley of weapons had stopped, Naruto grasped the handle of his blade, mentally preparing himself for the beat down that was about to ensue.

The large monkey had a feral smirk on his face.

"**So, you're finally gonna let me join in on the kid's beating. I like it."**

Naruto knew if he even wanted to survive this fight than he had to do something.

He stabbed the large sword into the ground and began forming hand seals.

Two hand seals into it and the blonde's cheeks bulged, however he didn't stop there.

Sarutobi was surprised when lightning began to spark around Naruto's hands.

'_I see, his lessons with Kakashi have been fruitful.'_

With a serious look on his face, Sarutobi turned to Enma.

"Enma, transform."

The smirk on the monkey's face grew.

"**Gladly, Transform!**"

Where once stood a 10 foot tall monkey, was now a large bo-staff.

Three water bullets, one right after another shot from Naruto's mouth, each infusing itself with lightning chakra, increasing not only its destructive power but also its speed.

Sarutobi was slightly surprised by the speed the attack moved but still easily maneuvered his staff to destroy all three of them.

Sarutobi's smirk never left his face, even as his summons spoke quietly to him.

"**Avoid those from now on, they are rather painful.**"

Neither Sarutobi nor Enma noticed the smirk that crossed Naruto's face as his right hand grabbed Kubikiribocho and charged the elderly Hokage.

With a resounding clang, the edge of Kubikiribocho met the diamond hard body of Monkey King Enma's staff form.

*With Haku

Haku sighed in boredom. She had been released from the hospital a week earlier and had become pretty good friends with the girls of Konoha.

Just yesterday, Tsunade had given her the ok to perform some light training. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Thirty meters away, a wooden dummy was beginning to resemble a pin-cushion.

Off to Haku's side, Shizune walked up to the target, to anyone else, it would appear that the ice user needed practice. Senbon were all over the place, most would believe her grouping was horrible. However, to the trained eye of a medic nin, Shizune instantly recognized every target.

"Very impressive Haku, I dare-say you are better with senbon than I am."

Shizune continued to analyze each senbon's location and its effect on the human body. She noticed three particularly well thrown ones.

"These three senbon alone would shut down the entire right side of your target's body."

Shizune was gesturing to three senbon, one in the shoulder, one in the hip and one in the chest.

"Thank you Shizune, I spent a great deal of time practicing while me and Zabuza were still missing-nin. This is the skill I held the most pride in, my ability to defeat without killing."

Shizune nodded along with the girl, as a medic it was common to want to preserve life, not take it.

*With Kiri Hunter-nin Team Two

"Well done, I was beginning to worry that we would be forced to report a failed mission, we are nearly out of time."

Deep in the woods of the Land of Sound, three Kiri hunter nin used a camouflage jutsu to remain hidden.

"Are you sure this is the place?"

One of the sensors turned to the team leader.

"I don't know, there are not many in this base. However, occasionally, I'll feel a burst of chakra that feels like it came from a member of the Hozuki clan."

A sickening chuckle sounded through the area.

"Well now, isn't that interesting."

The three Kiri hunter nin stopped dead, lowing their heartbeats and breathing to nearly unnoticeable levels.

Faster than any of the three can respond, a sword flies through the air, pinning one of the trackers to the tree.

The team leader's eyes widen when he sees the sword, he instantly recognizes it as the Kusanagi, a sword that was nearly as famous as their own Seven.

'_Orochimaru!'_

"I must say, your Silent Killing ability is rather impressive, but that doesn't help when I already know where you are."

The leader's head swiveled back and forth, hoping for some chance to retaliate, but he couldn't even see the Snake Sennin.

The team leader's battle tested instincts screamed that he needed to move.

"Move!"

Without delay, he shoved the last tracker from their hiding spot while he jumped into the air. With no delay, the Kusanagi, still pinning one of the trackers to the tree began to glow an eerie blue.

The sword began to move with nobody touching it.

The glowing sword seemed to just hover for several seconds, the tracker was still slightly disoriented from his fall while the team leader watched the sword with a critical eye, out of his entire team he was the only combat oriented ninja.

It took only a second before the sword shot towards the downed tracker.

The team leader's eyes widened and he flashed through several hand seals.

"**Water Release: Water Bullet Jutsu!**"

A single water bullet shot and hit the glowing sword, the sword sunk deep into the dirt, inches away from the tracker's head.

It only took a second for the leader to drop in at the man's side, giving him a quick shake.

"Hey! Wake the fuck up!"

The man came to, he was still a little confused but the cobwebs were clearing up.

"Focus! Here, I want you to take this and I want you to run as fast as you can. Don't worry about the other team. Just get this to Mizukage-sama as fast as possible."

The leader handed the man a scroll and he nodded before taking off as fast as he could.

"Kukuku, I see. During his last escape attempt, Kiri saw Suigetsu."

The team leader turned around quickly, and he saw Orochimaru, leaning against a tree, his arms crossed.

'_He doesn't even see me as a threat.'_

Faster than many could see, the team leader disappeared. He reappeared right over the Snake Sannin, his foot ready to crash down onto Orochimaru's head.

The team leader's eye's widened when his foot phased through the man's face.

Before the leader could even process what happened, he felt a sharp pain in his gut. Looking down, he saw the glowing blade of the Kusanagi sticking out of his stomach, it's blade red with his own blood.

"Hmp. To think one of Kiri's famed and feared Hunter nin would fall for something as simple as a standard clone."

The hunter nin team leader could do nothing as the life gradually left his eyes.

The Snake Sannin stepped from his location, a look of disdain on his face.

"You were pathetic. If that is all Kiri has to offer, I'm not concerned."

Without a single hand seal, a fireball engulfed the man's body.

"Kabuto!"

In an instant, the gray haired medic appeared.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama?"

The snake Sannin didn't even spare the boy a glance as he walked towards the base.

"Alert the Sound-Four that their mission begins. However, have them bring him to the Southern Hideout since this one will be discovered within the week."

Kabuto could only nod, his head was full of confusion.

'_What the?'_

Kabuto kept his mouth shut, he knew better than to question Orochimaru.

*Konoha: The Burnt Leaf

"Oh my god, you should have seen the pathetic look on his face when he got back to the room. All night he kept waking up yelling something. Now, I'm not sure, but I think it was like, 'NO ENMA! THAT DOESN'T GO THERE!' I couldn't stop laughing."

Everyone within hearing distance began laughing uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Naruto's head lowered as he continued to pout.

Iruka, who found this hilarious, walked up to the blond, a huge smile on his face.

Iruka clasped Naruto's shoulder in a brotherly way, and Naruto allowed himself to hope that the teasing was over. One look at Iruka's smirking face told him that no, no it wasn't.

"So Naruto. What exactly did the Monkey King Enma put, and where did he put it? HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Naruto's head lowered further, a deep blush on his face that had nothing to do with the Sake in his hand.

Anko walked up, swaying her hips. Her face was full of mischief.

The purple haired woman bent down, her face right next to Naruto's ear.

"So, the gaki is getting beaten up by old men now? I was ready to throw myself at you, but that is definitely a turn off."

Naruto's face got even redder and he didn't know what to say. Haku felt bad for her husband but he always teased her and she never got to return the favor.

Without anyone taking notice, the door opened. In walked Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage. It only took a few seconds for someone to notice him and almost immediately the music cut. Sarutobi took a look around, everyone's attention was on him, his white and red robes billowing slightly, his hat atop his head.

Though his face was cold, his eyes were amused.

"Hmm, since you all seem to enjoy teasing young Naruto, let's see which ones of you can walk home after a spar with yours truly."

Every ninja who had given Naruto shit paled. He may have been old, but he was the Hokage for a reason.

The rest of the night carried on, joking and teasing continued but it cooled off and now Naruto's face was red because he just finished his 3rd bottle of sake.

He couldn't stop smiling when he thought about the 'spars' that occurred. They were worse than his. If anyone had any doubt, they didn't anymore. Sarutobi was still The God of Shinobi.

Now, everyone was gathered, Naruto and Haku were in the middle. Everyone was there to wish them good luck. They were leaving early the next morning, back for Kiri.

After all the 'goodbyes' and the 'see you laters', the young married couple made their way to their hotel for one last night.

*With Sasuke at Uchiha Compound

Sasuke sat alone on the roof of his family home, he was now the only resident, but the entire compound still belonged to the Uchiha clan as a whole. In his hand were several senbon needles, while he had never really been all that interested in them as a weapon, his mind kept going back to his fight with Haku in the Forest of Death.

'_She took a relatively small amount of water and chakra, and made an attack that had the potential to take out my entire team.'_

While Sasuke was busy staring at the small weapons in his hand, he had no idea he was being watched.

A hundred yards away, four people stood, they could not have been more different from each other, but they were a team. They each had the same mission, 'Get Sasuke Uchiha to willingly travel to Oto under any circumstances.'

The only female had red hair and looked around disdainfully.

"Whoever put this clan compound here was an idiot, this is like an ambush heaven. I can see over 18 bottleneck areas with a high probability of wide area jutsu success."

Sakon, the 'Team Leader' spoke up.

"Good, I'll use that to help convince him that he isn't wanted here. I will go first, if I can't convince him, we will have to use force, even if Orochimaru-sama was against it."

The others did not like the idea of going against their lord.

The second Sakon stepped into the compound, Sasuke's head snapped in his direction.

'_Who the hell is this? Nobody comes here anymore.'_

Sasuke activated the Sharingan, just in case there was a fight, what he saw surprised him.

'_Oto? As in the village that tried and failed to invade us? What the hell are they doing here?'_

Sasuke was now surer of a fight and was now regretting not having any ninja tools on him with the exception of the half-dozen senbon needles.

The Uchiha heir continued to watch the man as he approached him, most would be unable to tell, but the boy's muscles were tensed, ready to strike.

"Sasuke Uchiha…"

Sasuke wasn't the least bit surprised that the man knew who he was.

"Yes."

Sasuke's Sharingan never deactivated, unnerving the silver haired boy slightly.

"Orochimaru-sama sent us to ask you, will you accept his gift of power?"

In an instant, Sasuke's mind went back to the forest, he felt an amazing power coursing through his veins, he remembered as he snapped the Oto gennin's arms like they were twigs. He remembered bashing the girl's head into a tree. He remembered feeling invincible.

However, he also remembered Kakashi, during his month long training.

"_Tell me Sasuke, you probably know more about Itachi than anyone. Has he ever accepted any strength that wasn't his own?"_

Sasuke shook his head to get out of the past.

"Before I give my answer, tell me, is Orochimaru powerful? Is he willing to pass on his knowledge so that I will become stronger?"

A smirk crossed Sakon's face.

'_perfect.'_

"Of course, it is only thanks to him that I, _we _are as powerful as we are."

In an instant, three more figures appeared in what seemed like a blur, well they normally would have, but the Uchiha's Sharingan was still active making them appear to be moving in slow motion.

"So, all four of you were trained by Orochimaru himself?"

All four gave a nod.

A smirk crossed Sasuke's face.

'_Perfect, now to set the stage. I need to know, could I become stronger under Orochimaru, or is my best bet here, the place that made Itachi into an S-rank ninja by the age of 13?'_

"About four miles South of Konoha, there is a large clearing, if there is any chance I will go with Orochimaru, you will all meet me there at 2 am tomorrow. Understood?"

This caught them all off guard.

'_Why? Is he setting a trap?'_

After a few seconds of thought, they all thought the same thing.

'_Orochimaru-sama did say under any circumstances.'_

Instantly, they each nodded and disappeared.

Sasuke knew he would need his rest so he went inside to sleep for a few hours. He made sure to activate every trap on his home, just in case.

*With the Sound Four 1 am

"Damnit Fatass, what the fuck was up with that fucktard!?"

The largest member of the Sound Four sighed.

"Tayuya, ladies shou-"

The large man couldn't continue when the woman's fist slammed into his face.

"Damnit Fatshit! This isn't the time!"

Sakon spoke his voice as calm as ever.

"Cool it, Tayuya, it doesn't matter if he does come with an army, Kidomaru's webs will tell us if any number get within a mile of here. If we think we're going to be ambushed, we'll have to report a failure to Orochimaru-sama."

The red head huffed before sitting down.

"I got movement!"

In an instant, the other three were ready to attack.

"Just one…"

They all smirked.

It was only ten minutes before leaves began falling from one of the trees, Sasuke standing in it, looking down on the Sound Four.

"So, Sasuke. Have you made a decision?"

As the four were staring at Sasuke, Sasuke just smirked back when a loud chirping noise sounded throughout the area.

"**Chidori!**"

Tayuya, Sakon and Jirobo could only stare, shocked as a fist covered in lightning was sticking out of Kidomaru's chest.

Tayuya was the first to react.

"What the fuck!?"

Sasuke's Sharingan was blazing.

"As I said, I havn't decided yet and you are _my _test for Orochimaru, if you prove to me that he can teach me better, I will follow you, if not…Well, you'll be dead."

**Cliffhanger! I could see Sasuke doing something along those lines, why be trained by a man that can't create strong soldiers?**

**I know, slow chapter, I just didn't want to get right into another story with a fight. I know I find it to get old if there is a big fight in every chapter.**

**I was originally planning on having the entire fight in this chapter, but I changed my mind.**

**Anyways, please review and tell me what you think!**


	13. Sasuke's Plight and Returning Home

**Disclaimer: In no way shape or form do I own Naruto.(Just realized I missed probably the last few chapters.)**

**Sorry I'm a little late, Thanksgiving and all.**

**I know my last chapter was not too impressive, but I hope to make it up to you all with this one! Today you find out, will Sasuke go to Orochimaru, or will he stay in Konoha?**

**When I write about the Sound Four, I'm going to stick with the Sound Four, no matter how many are dead. **

**Chapter 13**

**Sasuke's Plight and Returning Home**

The Sound Four, now Sound Three could only stand there, shocked as Sasuke pulled his bloody hand from the chest of Kidomaru.

"As I said, I haven't decided whether or not I'll go to Orochimaru, but you can be sure of one thing. I'm not very easy to convince. Just like he sent those three pathetic Genin to test me, I'm going to use you, Orochimaru's personal guard in order to test him. I'll give you a choice; you can come at me all at once, or one by one. It makes no difference to me."

Jirobo may not have been the smartest of the team, but sure as hell understood the raven haired boy. _'If you don't win, I'm going to kill you'_

Jirobo certainly wasn't about to let some tree hugging little bitch threaten him.

"Bastard!"

The largest member of the Sound Four charged the raven haired Uchiha with all his speed. When he was only a few feet away, he jumped in the air, coming down right on top of the Uchiha.

"**Pressure Palm!**"

The fat boy's palm slammed into the ground with amazing force, the dust that emerged clouded the entire clearing.

Tayuya turned to Sakon with a smirk.

"If the little dip-shit couldn't even keep up with Jirobo than I'm sure Orochimaru-sama is better off without him."

Sakon said nothing, continuing to observe.

When the dust finally cleared, it revealed Jirobo in a pile of broken rocks, his hand buried even further.

"Did I get him?"

A calm voice behind him answered the man's question.

"A stupid question from a weak-minded fool."

Jirobo couldn't believe it, he turned around as quick as he could, only to succeed is receiving a foot to the face, instead of the back of the head.

Tayuya couldn't stop her eyes from widening when she saw Jirobo fall on his back and skid backwards.

'_Damn, he moved fatass, that's a hard thing to do.'_

"I hope this isn't all you have."

Without giving the large man a chance to recover, he flashed through several hand seals.

"**Fire Release: Grand Fireball Jutsu!**"

A large ball of fire impacted the man.

Sasuke's Sharingan eyes narrowed.

'_His chakra, it seems to have skyrocketed, but it also changed. Just like…'_

"The Curse Seal."

When the flames faded, Jirobo was revealed, instead of an orange mohawk, his hair was now a rather large mane of orange. His skin was a dark orange, covered by what appeared to be warts, it gave him the appearance of an ogre or troll. He appeared to have minor burns and his clothes were all but gone, leaving him in only what remained of his pants, barely enough to keep him decent.

Sasuke was genuinely shocked.

'_His chakra, it increased 10 fold. Looks like this may be interesting.'_

"You're dead! **Crumbling Palm!**"

Sasuke's Sharingan analyzed everything about the man, the fact that his chakra was condensing in his muscles, making them extremely powerful, but also very slow, the fact that his muscles were moving at full function, meaning he was traveling at his top speed, and finally, the pained twitching of his burned muscles, signifying that he was in pain.

The man's powerful palm was inches from Sasuke's chest when the Uchiha jumped, the palm passing inches below him. However, the Uchiha wasn't idle, his hand quickly reached into his pouch, drawing one of his kunai and stabbed the man in the forearm.

"Gah! **Rising Knee!**"

Jirobo's powerful knee was heading right for Sasuke's midsection.

The man's knee slammed right through Sasuke's stomach, instead of blood and broken bones, there was only wood.

The large man barely noticed the dozen flaming pieces of paper on the log.

**Boom!**

"AAAAAAHHHHHH AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Jirobo's screams of agony was nearly unbearable for all those present. They couldn't even see what was wrong with him because the smoke clouded his vision.

When the smoke finally cleared, Tayuya and Sakon were both shocked, Jirobo was lying on his back, holding what was left of his leg, the muscle and bone being visibly burnt and damaged.

"How did he…"

Tayuya began searching for their target when an arm rose up from the ground, right at Jirobo's shoulder, a kunai in the hand. The other two members of the sound four watched impassively as Jirobo's throat was slit. As the blood pooled, the arm slipped under the cover of the soil.

Slowly, right behind Tayuya and Sakon, Sasuke rose from the ground.

"So, one on one is it? Who's next?"

*With Orochimaru

"Orochimaru-sama, there has still been no word from the Sound Four and Sasuke was supposed to meet them at 2am, that was over an hour ago. Do you think he betrayed them and told Konoha?"

A smirk crossed the Snake sennin's face.

"No, I know his type, he told no one. However, I don't doubt that the Sound Four will be the Sound Three, maybe even the Sound Two before Sasuke learns what he needs to."

Kabuto looked confused.

"From Sakon's report, Sasuke agreed way to easily. He needs power, it makes very little difference to him if I have it, but if I am able to give it to others."

Kabuto was still confused.

"He knows I'm strong, he needs to find out if I can make others strong."

A light went off in Kabuto's head.

"Ahh, he is going to test the Sound Four."

A smirk made its way onto Kabuto's face.

"How do you think the boy will fare?"

Orochimaru glanced at the silver haired medic.

"As I said, I think it will be the Sound Two by the time they convince him that I can make him powerful."

Kabuto nodded.

'_I wonder who will be lost. Likely Jirobo, he may have the most physical strength, but he is very slow. Hmm, Tayuya is likely to fall as well, her Genjutsu will be next to useless, Sasuke will only have to get passed those fearsome Doki of hers. However, Sakon and Kidomaru are likely to be too much for him.'_

*With Sasuke outside Konoha

Both Sakon and Tayuya quickly turned when they heard Sasuke's voice behind them.

The three continued to stare each other down for a few minutes, both Sakon and Tayuya taking into account that Sasuke was only breathing slightly heavy.

"Let's see how you like this, Dickhead. **Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains!**"

Sasuke just stared impassively as the invasive chakra of a Genjutsu tried to enter through his ears.

He was surprised when his vision began to blur slightly before his world turned a blurry red, ninja wire coming from the sky and ground keeping him in place.

'_Incredible, to have even a slight effect through my Sharingan is unheard of, but to have the Genjutsu fully take hold… I thought only a Sharingan could cast a Genjutsu on a Sharingan. If I could combine her Genjutsu with my Sharingan… She needs to live.'_

Sasuke pulsed his chakra slightly, breaking the unstable Genjutsu.

'_My eyes weakened it greatly though. I bet if I didn't have the Sharingan, I would have been defenseless against it.'_

Sasuke continued to stare at the redheaded Kunoichi, making no movement, acting as though he was never freed.

Tayuya continued to play her flute, a smirk on her face.

"Ha! So much for the _great Sasuke Uch-_"

The redheaded Kunoichi was unable to continue when Sasuke's fist connected with her jaw and she flew backwards.

However, she quickly recovered, landing in a crouch.

A snarl was on her face when she landed, a trail of blood leaking from her lip.

"Fuck Orochimaru, you're a dead man Uchiha!"

In a surprising burst of speed, Tayuya closed the distance and tried to land a kick to the boy's face, however Sasuke just ducked and kicked her foot out from under her. The redhead wasn't idle though, as her foot connected with the boy's stomach, sending his stumbling backwards.

Tayuya wasn't about to give up her advantage and landed a right hook to his face. Just as she was about to land another punch to his face, Sasuke's hand came up and caught Tayuya's wrist, pulling her foreword and kneeing her in the stomach.

Using their position to his advantage, Sasuke wraps his arm around her neck and squeezes, hoping for an easy win.

Tayuya is barely able to get a few raspy words out.

"Fuck…you."

Sasuke's Sharingan immediately picked up the vast increase in chakra.

'_Shit, she's using the Curse Seal!'_

Sasuke could see the black marks spreading across her exposed neck. (She is in a guillotine, He can't see her face or hands)

Almost suddenly, her attempts at escaping redoubled.

'_Damn, she's strong!'_

Sasuke was forced to bleed chakra into his muscles just to keep hold of her.

'_She should be unconscious any second now!'_

Slowly, a haze of purple chakra clouded his vision as he felt the woman getting stronger. The marks on her neck combined and her skin began to turn brown. He could feel what felt like horns digging into his side.

"D-damnit…"

Using her Curse Seal provided brute strength, Tayuya grabbed the boy's arm and ripped it away from her neck, Sasuke could do nothing as he was man-handled by her.

Holding onto his bicep and the back of his shirt, Tayuya spun around a few time before throwing the boy into a tree.

The large tree cracked slightly when Sasuke's back impacted it, the boy couldn't stop himself from coughing up a bit of blood as he tried to stand.

"You know Uchiha, nobody who has heard my flute has ever lived! I can see you're powerful and in few years I don't doubt that you could be stronger than me. But not yet! **Summoning Jutsu!**"

Sasuke blocked the pain from his mind as he jumped back, smoke engulfing the area around the demonic redhead.

When the smoke cleared, Sasuke was rather surprised.

'_At least it's not a 30 story toad or something.'_

Standing in front of Tayuya were three creature, all three well over 9 feet tall. The apparent _leader _was the largest, he was shirtless with black pants. His head held several hideous scars and had bandages around his eyes. His weapon consisted of several large thorns attached to his forearm. The next was crouched low, its long black hair concealing its face, a large metal club was in his hands. The final one was covered completely in bandages and had no arms, however, he was covered in spikes.

Sasuke took the time he was given to try and sort out how they fought. They all seemed to use physical means; it was just a matter of figuring out how they worked.

'_First to test their speed.'_

Sasuke flew through several hand seals.

"**Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!**"

Sasuke watched as Tayuya jumped in the air, performing a backflip as she flew through the air, she landed on a single branch and never stopped playing her flute.

The three beasts dodged the attack, each in a different direction.

'_Ok, their speed is fair, time to test their defense.'_

Sasuke jumped into the surrounding trees, just in time to witness a club impact the area he had been standing.

'_As a side note, their physical strength is great.'_

Using the cover of the trees, Sasuke was quick to find the weakness of her attack.

'_She controls them with her flute. She doesn't need to see them to control them, but she can't tell them where to attack if she can't find me. Hmmm.'_

The Uchiha reached his hand into his weapons pouch, counting what he had left.

'_13 kunai, 5 shuriken, 7 exploding tags, 4 smoke bombs, 500 foot roll of ninja wire and one demon windmill shuriken.'_

With a smirk, Sasuke grabbed the demon windmill shuriken and the four smoke bombs.

Sasuke used his half decent stealth skills to sneak up near the redhead.

Without so much as a grunt, Sasuke jumped from his location, his folded shuriken aimed to slash the Kunoichi across the back. However, when he was only a few feet from scoring the hit, the shirtless beast jumped in front of him.

The Uchiha carved four lines down the demon's face and chest, blood spraying as though an artery was sliced.

The demonic looking redhead smirked.

"It will take more than that to take out the Doki."

A particularly high paced melody flew from her flute and Sasuke saw the Doki's thorned fist flying towards his chest.

With wide eyes, Sasuke used the only defense he had, holding the folded shuriken to catch the beast's fist between his two thorns, blood sprayed as the beast powered through the defense, the force of the attack sending the Uchiha flying back, uncontrolled.

As he flew, Sasuke let the large shuriken fly, straight for the redhead in a last ditch effort to take her out, however, he never got to see what happened when he bounced roughly on the ground.

'_I hope that shuriken is at least close to her.'_

With a hand seal, an explosion sounded, however, it was on the other side of the field and did little more than cause a distraction, a distraction Sasuke wasn't going to waste as he took to the trees, careful of being avoided.

From his spot in the trees, Sasuke took some time to analyze his enemy, glad to see that the silver haired Shinobi was making no move to assist her. He almost seemed to take pleasure in watching her greatest abilities be proven worthless.

'_Ok, these things obviously can't feel pain, so I won't be able to disable them without completely destroying them, plus, she needs to play her flute for them to respond. If I can get that away from her…'_

A smirk found its way onto his face.

Reaching into his pouch, Sasuke grabbed his only four smoke bombs, with a single hand seal, a single standard clone appeared at his side and began to make his way around the field, Tayuya remaining in the center, ready to defend from any angle.

A flash of light to the side, and Tayuya's head snapped to the right, just in time to see a giant fireball hurdling towards her.

'_Shit!'_

Not wasting any time, the redhead jumped well out of range of the attack.

'_Idiot, fire jutsu aren't very good for long range.'_

Focusing on the area that the fireball came from, just waiting for the next attack, Tayuya was shocked when the entire area around her was covered in red and green smoke.

"What the fuck!?"

Instantly, all three of the Doki obeyed her flute, gathering around her, ready to take any attacks intended for her.

As she stood defensively in the smoke, an obnoxiously loud chirp filled the air. Tayuya's mind instantly went back to when the Uchiha had killed Kidomaru.

'_Shit! I can't get hit by that.'_

Slowly, the smoke cleared, just in time to see Sasuke chargeing, a ball of lightning in his hand, the uncontained lightning actually destroying the ground below him.

A quick tune from her flute, and all three of her Doki were attacking. She could only watch, shocked as the boy pulled off moves that shocked her, all without slowing down. He jumped over the first's metal club, ducked below the thorned fists of the second, before skillfully sliding around her last defense.

Tayuya attempted to dodge, spinning to the side and giving him a smaller target, however it turned out to be useless when he merely readjusted, the large ball of lightning ready to strike her chest.

Just as the boy's fist met her chest, he vanished. Not in shunshin or speed or anything of the sort, just gone from existence.

"What the fuck?"

Sasuke's chuckle to her right caused her head to snap in that direction, he just stood there, a smirk firmly planted on his face.

"What the fuck is so funny, Shithead!?"

"You are a very… amusing…woman."

The woman barely reacted to that, with the exception of narrowing her eyes.

The Uchiha still stood, confident.

"You know, I've always been interested in music. My mother actually played the flute."

That was when her eyes widened. In his hand, he held her flute. She even had to check her own hand to make sure it wasn't there.

"When!?"

Sasuke gave no body language to insinuate he heard her, but answered anyway.

"When you dodged, I knew that the moment my Chakra Clone had bypassed your summons, you would attempt to dodge, for nearly a full second, you paid no attention to your flute, for the first time in this entire fight."

The redhead's fist clenched as she glared at the boy.

"Don't think that I'm useless with my flute! It will take a lot more than that to beat me!"

If anything, Sasuke's smirk widened.

"I don't doubt it."

It was at that point that she noticed the kunai in his hand.

'_What the fuck is he going to do with that?'_

The raven haired boy reached back and severed a rope, the sounds of dozens of branches snapping into their original places sounded. However, Tayuya could do nothing since ninja wire wrapped all over her, cutting deeply into her skin.

"W-when?"

Sasuke was no longer smirking, looking at the defeated woman.

"I set the wire when you focused on the fireball, but set the branches to go off, when my clone's Chidori was making so much noise, that fact is good for something."

Knowing that she was outsmarted pissed Tayuya off, she couldn't stop glaring at the man in front of her, however, she took pleasure in the bruises she gave him, and he still had blood trickling down his lip.

Before she could say anything else, the Uchiha flashed through a few hand seals, a yellow ball of lightning in his hand.

"Can't have you interfering with my next fight. **Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Jutsu!**"

Tayuya was unable to do anything but watch as the ball of lightning got closer and closer.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Every muscle in her body contracted, her heart raced and her breathing was labored as she the technique died out.

"That won't be enough, Fucktard!"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at her endurance.

'_Her willpower…'_

Sasuke cleared his head, just in time to hear one of the wires snap.

"These wires won't be enough to hold me!"

The redheaded woman stared defiantly into Sasuke's eyes as two more wires snapped. However, that proved to be her undoing.

'_Genjutsu: Sharingan: Forced Sleep Jutsu.'_

The raven haired boy's eyes began spinning rapidly and Tayuya found herself tiring.

'_Gen-genjutsu! K-Kai…Kai…w-hy ca-can't?'_

Sasuke watched, impassively as the woman slumped, asleep. Her curse seal form slowly fading away.

By this point, Sasuke's breathing was considerably more labored. Sasuke idly noticed that the unresponsive Doki simply vanished in a poof of smoke.

'_Damn, that one took a lot out of me. I wonder how strong this guy is.'_

"Well, well. You certainly are interesting, Sasuke Uchiha."

Even as he spoke with an arrogant and confident tone, Sasuke's Sharingan easily picked up his nervousness as his eyes kept shooting to his dead and unconscious comrades. This of course put a smirk on Sasuke's face.

"You should run along now, wouldn't want to end up like your buddies, dead or captured."

The silver haired man's eyes turned cold.

"I'm not as weak as they are."

Sasuke kept up the bravado.

"I'd like to hope not. Otherwise this will be a quick fight."

'_I have to make this quick, I'm getting low on chakra.'_

In a surprising burst of speed, Sakon closed the gap, a kunai attempting to slit the Uchiha's throat. However, the Sharingan told Sasuke how to avoid the strike with ease. Before Sasuke could attempt a counter, the man grew a foot out of his stomach, that foot sent Sasuke tumbling.

The Sharingan was unable to process what just happened.

'_No surge of chakra, no muscle tension and he grew a foot from his stomach. What the hell?'_

Immediately after recovering, Sasuke went on the offensive.

*Konoha Gates

"Hey Brat!"

Tsunade walked up and grabbed Naruto by the collar of his shirt, holding his face close to hers.

"You better take care of that girl there!"

Slowly, the scowl on her face slowly morphed into a sad smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice barely audible, even near his ear spoke to him.

"Never let anything happen to her. It's a pain I wouldn't wish on anyone."

With a gentle smile on his face, Naruto returned the hug.

"I plan to protect her with my life."

As much as Haku wanted to admonish him for believing she needed to be protected, she knew he would. That was just who he was.

Off to the side, Sarutobi and Jiraiya shared a smile.

"And don't forget brat. Next time you talk to me, its Hokage-sama, got it!?"

Both Sarutobi and Jiraiya sweat-dropped.

'_So much for the moment…'_

"Shut up, you Old Hag! Why they wanted you as Hokage, I'll never know!"

A tic mark quickly formed on Tsunade's forehead.

"God damn Brat! Call me Old Hag again and I'm going to punt you all the way from here to Kiri!"

By now, Tsunade Senju and Naruto Uzumaki were glaring as hard as they possibly could. If a stranger walked by, they would instantly expect a fight to the death. When suddenly…

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

They both broke down and started laughing while Jiraiya, Sarutobi and Haku formed a sweat-drop.

"Take care of yourself Brat."

Naruto nodded and turned to the man who practically raised him.

"Naruto, I simply have some imparting words of wisdom that I wish someone would have told me when I was your age. It is better to be a master of one than a follower of a thousand."

Naruto wasn't too sure what Sarutobi was saying. He could clearly see the look in the old man's face that said, 'figure it out'."

'_I will have plenty of time to think about it during my trip home.'_

Walking foreword, Naruto grabbed the old man in a hug.

"I'm going to miss you Sarutobi-sensei."

Next, Naruto was in front of Jiraiya, a smirk on his face.

"It's been real, Perv."

With but a nod, Jiraiya clasped the boy's shoulder and leaned in.

"Don't be too surprised if we see each other soon."

Though slightly surprised, Naruto nodded at what he was implying.

"Bye Sarutoi-sensei, Bye Hag, Bye Perv!"

Haku just shook her head with a smile as she addressed the three older ninja.

"I can't thank you all enough for the help you have given us."

The three adults gave the girl a gentle smile as they took to the trees, on their way home after over two months.

*With Konoha Anbu Patrol 2

"Captain, I sense a large amount of chakra approximately 100 yards to the East."

The Anbu Captain turned to his team's sensor, she was relatively young with dirty blonde hair and wore a mask depicting a cat with black marks around the eyes.

Without a word, the patrol changed direction, heading for the disturbance.

It only took the team several minutes to clear the distance separating the two groups. They arrived at the clearing, but remained out of sight.

What they saw was rather surprising.

A fat boy in the middle of the field, laying in a pool of his own blood, his demonic appearance slightly disturbing. Next, they noticed a redhead; she appeared to be alive but unconscious and bound with ninja wire. Soon after, they took in the fact that there was a six armed man with a hole in his chest. Then they noticed Sasuke Uchiha.

The sensor immediately turned to her captain.

"What the hell is the last loyal Uchiha doing here?"

Her question went unanswered as the captain continued to analyze everything.

'_All of the fallen ninja are of the Sound Village. Could they have kidnapped the last Uchiha?'_

Just as his team was about to interfere, the captain held his hand up, signifying them to wait and see.

The last remaining sound ninja glared with pure rage in his eyes, both of his arms hung uselessly at his sides, one was sporting several severe burns. His body wasn't doing to much better with cuts and burns all over.

Sakon couldn't help but turn to the side, looking at his brother. An identical man lay on his back, his eyes lifeless and his body covered in severe burns, a large, bloody hole where his heart should be.

"U-Ukon, I will kill him for you! You will have your vengeance!"

Across from the man was Sasuke Uchiha, he barely stood, his Sharingan eyes dimming to their black state occasionally.

The wrappings around his legs were dyed red with his own blood.

'_I-I don't know how much longer I can continue.'_

With anger in his eyes, Sasuke flashed through a few clumsy hand seals.

The captain quickly turned to the sensor of the team.

"Is he building up a large amount of lightning chakra in his hand?"

After a second she nodded.

"Damn it! We have to stop him, using that much chakra at this point could kill him."

Sasuke's hand was violently shaking, between pain and exhaustion, his eyes were barely opened.

The boy's Sharingan reverted back to its idle state of coal black.

Slowly, sparks of lightning began to appear in his palm before it grew into its true form.

"Show me! Show me that Orochimaru is a better teacher!"

In an instant, Sasuke took off running as fast as he possibly could.

Sakon could only watch, his legs shaking from being so tired.

'_I have to wait until the last second to move out of the way.'_

The Anbu captain's eyes narrowed when he heard Sasuke's declaration.

"Prepare to move. On my mark."

The team of four Anbu members tensed, ready to move out.

Sasuke's fist, covered in lightning destroyed the ground as he ran, reducing to earth to dust.

He was no more than 10 feet away when the lightning in Sasuke's hand began to fizzle but not die.

"**Chidori!**"

Just before the attack was going to hit him, Sakon jumped back. Or, he would have, if his knee didn't choose that exact moment to give out.

Sasuke's fist was inches from Sakon's chest when the raven haired boy's eyes closed, falling unconscious. Sasuke's momentum carried him forward.

The Anbu team watched with bated breath as Sasuke's fist hit the Sound Ninja's chest, sending him to the ground. However, Sasuke wasn't even able to see if his attack hit, since he was already unconscious.

In a blur, the Anbu team arrived, looking around the scene.

Turning to his team, the Captain gave out the orders.

"Bear, check on the Uchiha, Cat, check each member of the sound team, tell me their status. Dog, set up a perimeter, I don't want anything within 10 yards of this clearing! Move!"

Before he even said that, his team was already moving.

*Several Miles from Kiri(Four Days Later)

Naruto and Haku were slowly walking up the path, no need to hurry after all.

Naruto had a huge smile on his face as he walked, hand in hand with his wife.

Haku too had a large smile on her face as she nudged Naruto.

"And you call Jiraiya a perv."

Naruto's smile only grew.

"Have you looked in the mirror? I don't think I've ever seen such a shit-eating grin on your beautiful face."

Haku couldn't keep the blood from rushing to her pale face as she felt Naruto's hand release hers, in order to rest on her bum, rubbing it slightly.

"I…You…We…"

Naruto couldn't stop from busting out laughing when she couldn't form a sentence.

A smirk grew across Naruto's face after he calmed down.

"If you thought the first time was good. Just wait until tonight."

An embarrassed, but undoubtedly excited smile crossed the raven haired woman's face.

Slowly, Naruto's smirk grew to levels that had Haku nervous, she knew what was coming and she knew she wouldn't be able to resist.

In an instant, the hand rubbing her butt grabbed her cheek and lifted her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist.

"Mmmmmmm."

Haku had no chance to stop the moan when Naruto's lips latched onto her neck and in all honesty, she didn't want to.

Haku allowed her head to tilt back, giving her lover better access to her sweet spot.

Haku was shivering in delight when something caught her eye. In an instant, the lust left her system.

Naruto immediately noticed the change and set the woman down, his hand grasping Kubikiribocho.

"P-please… H-help."

Almost immediately, they could identify him, not so much _who _he was, but _what _he was.

'_Hunter nin?'_

The two were instantly by his side, Haku's hands glowing green as she ran her hands over his body.

"My god…"

Naruto pulled his shirt off, balling it up under the man's head while Haku worked to stabilize him.

"What's wrong with him?"

Haku was nearly in shock.

"I don't know how he's still alive. All eight of his gates aren't just opened, they're completely destroyed."

Blood began seeping from the man's mouth as he reached into his cloak. Despite the man's apparent loyalties, both Haku and Naruto were ready to defend themselves.

"M-Mizukage-sama"

The man pulled his hand out and revealed a scroll.

At that instant, the man's eyes dulled and his hand hit the ground, the scroll rolling a few inches. Haku ran her glowing hands over each of the man's vital organs before she shook her head sadly.

Standing up, Haku rummaged through her pouch before coming up with a blue scroll. Haku placed the body scroll over the man and sealed away his body.

"We should hurry, this must be important."

Nodding to his wife, Naruto grabbed the scroll that the man hand and they both took off running.

*Konoha

Ibiki was glaring at the prisoner in front of him with confusion.

"Why?"

Tayuya's contemptuous look never changed.

"I hate that fucker. He's going to kill me soon, why make my last few hours painful just for that asshole?"

Though he wasn't sure if he believed her, he stood, walking out of the room.

When he left, he walked over to the observation room and was surprised to find the Hokage, an inquisitive look on his face.

"Tell me everything you learned from the girl."

Ibiki nodded to the man and began.

"She was surprisingly forthcoming with information; she seems to have very little loyalty to Orochimaru. The first thing we learned, was her mission, she and her team were supposed to use any means necessary to convince Sasuke Uchiha to willingly abandon the Leaf and join Sound, being trained personally by Orochimaru himself. Sasuke seemed to give this some thought in the form of seeing how strong Orochimaru could make him. He was apparently not impressed. Outside of that, we learned that Sound isn't a village in the sense of most; it is made of several bases in different regions. She was referred to as Tayuya of the North Gate. When not working for Orochimaru directly, her job was as main guard for the northern hideout. According to her, Orochimaru himself rarely ever goes to the Northern Hideout, it is mainly used for research. It is where the source of Orochimaru's curse seal resides."

Sarutobi seemed to be in deep thought.

"Did you find out why Orochimaru wanted Sasuke to go willingly? Why not force him?"

Ibiki nodded slightly.

"She was unsure, according to her, Orochimaru rarely shared his plans with them, but she overheard him speaking with Kabuto, a recently confirmed spy. It sounded as though Orochimaru had perfected his immortality jutsu, but upon using it, he would never be able to switch bodies again, on top of that, the body had to go through special preparations."

Sarutobi nodded in interest.

"I see, it was always about the Sharingan, the invasion, the attacks, all of it, him and his foolish dream."

Sarutobi couldn't stop himself from staring off into space.

'_How far have you truly fallen, Orochimaru?'_

*Kiri Main Gate

In a blur, Naruto and Haku arrived.

In an instant, the two Chunin guards were prepared for an attack, one holding some shuriken, ready to let them fly, and the other preparing a water bullet.

Upon noticing the identity of the 'intruders', the Chunin relaxed. Spitting his water bullet against a tree, the Chunin turned a disapproving glare to members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

"I don't give a fuck if you're supposed prodigies under Zabuza-sama! You better have a damn good reason for breaking protocol. Under no circumstances is any ninja allowed to come up to the entrance at anything faster than a jog! We almost sounded the fucking alarm!"

Naruto's hand dropped from Kubikiribocho's hilt, having grabbed it upon their reaction to entrance they made.

Naruto gave a slight bow and spoke.

"I apologize for breaking protocol but we have an urgent message for the Mizukage!"

The Chunin didn't look convinced and without a second thought, Haku grabbed the scroll from her kimono and unsealed the dead hunter nin, her voice as cold as the ice her clan was known for.

"We found him 15 miles from the village, seconds from death… We will deal with this after the scroll he had on him is in the hands of Mei-sama."

The Chunin could only stare, shocked. The hunter-nin were the best, and here was one, dead.

"I-I'm going to report this, but it won't leave as much as a mark on your record."

In that instant, Haku resealed the body and quickly they made their way to the Mizukage tower, eager to give Mei the scroll.

Not for the first time, Naruto and Haku forgo security completely and run up the side of the building, arriving at the window in Mei's office. What they see is Mei sitting in her chair doing her paperwork, however that doesn't last when she turns quickly, a kunai flying from her hand.

Haku easily tilted her head back, the kunai flying harmlessly by and was intercepted by one of the many Anbu in the area before it could hurt a civilian.

"Naruto? Haku? I wasn't expecting you until tonight."

However it only took her a second to notice their serious faces.

"Report."

Haku grabbed the scroll containing the body of the hunter-nin and unsealed the man on the floor.

"We found this man about 15 miles away from Kiri's gates."

They too noticed that her whole body stiffened, she either knew him personally, or his mission was very important.

"Cause of death?"

Haku took the stand at that.

"I'm unsure, but I would say an overdose on soldier pills. His chakra system is a mess."

Mei nodded and Naruto handed her a scroll.

"Right before he died, he gave us this to give to you."

Her eyes lit up when she saw the scroll and opened it quickly.

Mizukage-sama, if you are reading this, than I did not manage to live. However, all is not lost, as I completed my mission. We found him Mizukage-sama. Located in the Land of Rice-patties, the entrance is well hidden, the coordinates are 43.21 x 21.57. I apologize for not being more exact, but that is all I was able to commit to memory. Upon arriving, we staked the entrance out for a while, before Orochimaru struck. It was a slaughtering, our defender gave me orders to run and give this message to you. 

Mei re-read the message several times and nodded, her face going cold.

'_I-I wish we had more high-ranked ninja. Damn you Yagura…'_

"You two have one day to relax, you and your team have another mission tomorrow."

Though not expecting it, Naruto and Haku nodded.

*Konoha Hospital

"Ugh…"

Instantly, Sasuke's arm came up and covered his eyes, attempting to block out the light.

Amidst his groaning, Sasuke was barely able to hear a whisper.

"Inform Tsunade-sama that patient 4352 is awake."

Slowly, the cobwebs cleared from his head, and he began to think.

'_D-did I do it? Did I win?'_

Using the button on the hospital bed, Sasuke brought himself to a sitting position, just in time for the door to open.

Sasuke immediately recognized the woman that walked in. She was Tsunade of the Sannin, and the teammate of the man he had considered betraying Konoha for.

Without a word, the woman's hands began to glow green as she ran her hands over his chest, neck and head.

"How are you feeling?"

Sasuke turned to the woman as he began analyzing his own body.

"Fine I guess…"

His voice came out hoarse from misuse.

"Sarutobi-sensei wants a report from you, we have been unable to wake up the redhead and everyone else is dead."

Sasuke's head snapped up.

"D-dead?"

Tsunade's brow furrowed slightly.

"Yeah."

The legendary medic noticed the hope in his eyes with a sigh, she was going to have to report all of this.

"Even two guys with silver hair?"

Tsunade gave a short nod.

"Yeah, they came in and it was found they both died from two separate Chidoris to the chest, confirmed by Kakashi."

A slight smile crossed the young man's face and Tsunade was slightly unnerved.

"Your report?"

Sasuke looked slightly like a deer in the headlights.

"I-I…"

Sasuke sighed.

'_Even if the redhead isn't away to them anything, she will be eventually and they will get it from her. If I'm caught in a lie then I'll never get the training I need.'_

"Orochimaru offered me training… I was… considering his offer."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly but inside she was shocked.

'_He is actually telling the truth.'_

"Explain!"

Instantly, Sasuke's eyes lowered in shame, not shame at what he had done, but shame that he was actually opening up slightly.

"Tell me, have you ever lost _everyone _you cared for? Have you ever had to live with the fact that while they are dead and gone, their _murderer _lives and breathes!?"

Tsunade's eyes softened.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me one thing…"

Slowly, Sasuke's eyes met hers…

"What was your decision?"

A smirk crossed Sasuke's face, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I beat Orochimaru's four elite body guards by myself. He obviously has a different opinion of strength as Konoha does, I'm staying."

A smile crossed Tsunade's face as she nodded and removed her previously unnoticed hand from his stomach, the green glow fading.

'_There isn't a man alive that can fool medical chakra with a lie and he didn't have a hint of deceit or un-clarity…'_

Tsunade nodded and left the room.

**That's it! Chapter 13 is complete! Tell me what you thought of the fights and if Sasuke was way too overpowered… I tried to limit it.**

**Just so you know, the score was 20 to 7 the winner being for him to stay.**

**Now, I know some people are going to bitch about Sasuke be way overpowered, but in order for my story to pan out the way it will, Sasuke needs to stay in Konoha. He wouldn't stay, if he thought he could get stronger under Orochimaru. I know I was originally making him out to be weaker I.E. when Haku beat their entire team but the plans for the story have changed and Sasuke will have a slightly larger role in the upcoming chapters. I played it out the way I did so that it didn't seem too bad. Kidomaru was taken by surprise, never even knew what hit him. With Jirobo's speed, I don't think he would be able to match Sasuke very well at all, making him a fairly easy kill. Leaving the only real issues of Tayuya, whose Genjutsu would be canceled out by the Sharingan and Sakon. **

**I'm considering giving Sasuke a pairing, and if you couldn't tell, I was leaning towards Tayuya but I'm open to other opinions. Let me know who you think he should be with… (It won't be a big part of the story, just something to give it more dimensions) Also no Sakura, if you can give me some ideas, I'd be willing to consider Ino, but I don't see Sakura being too impressive in my story, I.E. she doesn't need to get Sasuke back.**

**New Jutsu-Chakra Clone- Uchiha clan variation of the Clone Jutsu, allows user to create a semi-solid clone, creates shadow, and though it is light, it will affect the environment (Footprints, noise from steps) its greatest advantage is that it creates noise. If the user is advanced enough, the clone is capable of using any jutsu the user is, both visually and audibly but with no actual affect. **


	14. Enter the Snake's Den

**Sorry, but this chapter is a little on the short side, not too bad though.**

**I just saw the episode with Kushimaru and Jinpachi… I may so be inclined to focus just a little more on Haku's fights… I can't believe I used to not like Nuibari…**

**Hah! I've built this mission up for like 3 chapters… It better be good!**

**Underlined words are communicating with hand signs, the text should come out crude and unrefined. They can also be written text, mission reports, or scrolls.**

**Chapter 14**

**Enter the Snake's Den**

Mei sighed tiredly as she looked at the team in front of her.

'_Damn it! Are they strong enough for this?'_

Standing in front of her desk were five of the strongest ninja in Kiri.

'_We really are pathetic right now, aren't we? Some of our Genin are stronger than a lot of our Jonin.'_

Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, Mei took a good look at each of the ninja in front of her.

Naruto Uzumaki- Recently promoted Chunin with vast chakra reserves, impressive Ninjutsu and only Zabuza could wield Kubikiribocho better. Haku Momochi-Uzumaki- Genin by technicality but extremely skilled, very few Jonin could match her full speed and even she, herself had difficulty outpacing the girl when she used her newest Jutsu. Add that to Nuibari and you have one dangerous Kunoichi. Chojuro-He was another very gifted Genin by technicality. Even if it was only for three weeks, he trained under the legendary Mangetsu Hozuki himself, his Ninjutsu is nothing to scoff at and his skill with Hiramekarei was beyond impressive, especially when you factor in his age of only 14. Zabuza Momochi- Enough said, the Legendary Demon of the Bloody Mist himself, an A, borderline S-rank ninja with nearly unmatched stealth and Kenjutsu. His water Ninjutsu is some of the best in the world and the undoubtedly the best of those currently in Kiri and his chakra reserves are only beaten out by Naruto's. Finally, Ao- The only member that wasn't a swordsman, but the best sensor Kiri had. He was a solid A-rank ninja and knew how to beat Orochimaru if it came down to a fight.

Mei sighed.

'_I truly hope everything turns out ok… I don't know if Kiri could recover from such a loss.'_

"We have discovered the location of Suigetsu Hozuki. The thought dead brother of Mangetsu…"

Zabuza and Chojuro both shifted, paying even closer attention.

'_Sensei…'_

'_Damn brat…'_

"It was discovered that he is in the clutches of Orochimaru, kept prisoner at a base in the Land of Rice-Paddies."

Zabuza spoke up, his voice deathly serious.

"Will Orochimaru be there?"

Mei sighed again.

"It's possible… That is why I chose this team. Your team should have no problem dealing with the soldiers while, if necessary, you and Ao deal with Orochimaru. Each person here, excels at our Silent Killing Jutsu, allowing a wide spread mist to be used without hindering you at all. That is, after all the specialty of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and one of the true keys to their power."

All five nodded in understanding, but the Genin couldn't shake the slight bit of fear from the minds. They were confident, but not insane. Zabuza however, was grinning like a madman.

*Orochimaru's Northern Base

"So, Sasuke-kun was too much for the Sound Four…"

Orochimaru sat on his throne-like stone chair, his fingers tapping the armrest as he considered everything that would occur.

"I shall wait, if he will not join willingly, I cannot keep him yet. I will only need a month to prepare his body but won't be able to switch for three years. Kabuto, I would like you to put all your efforts in finding a cure for Kimmimaru. I have no doubt that I will need his strength at my side in the future."

Kabuto's eyes widened slightly.

"B-but Orochimaru-sama, I can't…I tried…"

An intense, evil wave of killing intent passed over Kabuto, the silver haired medic could hardly breathe.

"I will assign all of your current projects to Karin. If you still can't do it, then kindly find me a medic who can, and slit your throat to save me the trouble of doing it myself."

The fear was clearly seen in Kabuto's eyes.

"I will get to work immediately Orochimaru-sama."

The Snake Sannin watched, uninterested as Kabuto left. Slowly, a smirk crossed his face as something came to mind.

'_I wonder who Kiri will send to their death this time. The last team was oh so pitiful.'_

Orochimaru idly turned to the monitor that easily picked up the ravenous beasts roving around the hide out.

*With Sasuke

"Sasuke Uchiha, how do you plead?"

Sasuke sat in the council chambers, his head held high as he was surrounded by several of the highest ranking officials Konoha had to offer. The Hokage was looking at him with a stern expression.

"Guilty, to all charges, Hokage-sama."

The old man looked at the boy in front of him with scrutiny.

"Anbu, take Sasuke Uchiha to the holding cells while we deliberate."

In a flash, two Anbu operatives appeared at Sasuke's side, guiding him out of the room.

The Hokage looked around the room at the officials in attendance, several clan heads, his own teammates, Danzo, not to mention Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"The floor is open."

Shikaku thought for a few seconds before speaking.

"The boy never tried to deceive us of his plans, even going so far as to admit to them when as far as he knew, we had no source of information. On top of that, he submitted to a mind-walk by the Yamanaka clan, which if I remember correctly, was proven to be clean. The boy possesses a lot of hate, but it is all directed at his brother."

Homura countered the lazy genius.

"I for one am not comfortable, putting a potential traitor in the ninja forces; betrayal is an active possibility without encouraging ninja who have a history of it."

*45 Minutes Later

The Hokage waved his arm.

"Anbu, retrieve Sasuke Uchiha."

Not a minute later, Sasuke walked into the room, his head still held high.

"In light of our discussions, we have decided on your sentence."

Sasuke's fists clenched slightly.

"You are to be placed under three months of probation, forbidding you from stepping foot on any form of ninja property, including Konoha owned training grounds. At which point, should you comply, you will be reinstated to Team Seven, under Hatake Kakashi. This will only be possible should you agree to submit bi-annual psych evaluations."

Sasuke nodded, while he was upset, it could and should, have been much worse.

*Border of Land of Hot Water and Land of Sound

Five cloaked figures moved silently through the trees, making no sound, leaving no prints.

The one at the head of the group help his arms out, his team on either side able to see the signs he made. Approximate ETA 10 minutes

No response was needed as the five continued.

The five passed in and then out of a small village, with no one even noticing.

Slowly, one of the five began to pick up speed, coming to the front of the formation and taking position of leader, both hands out to signal the rest of the formation. Halt in…3…2…1…halt

In an instant, the group stopped, each perched on a separate branch.

The 'leader' seemed to scan the area for a few minutes before his hands began working to tell them what they were up against.

Approximately 250 targets ranging from academy student to low Jonin in chakra. No sign of Orochimaru. 

The leader held out a hand and pointed at one of the others. He merely responded with a nod.

While moving silently, he dropped to the ground, not making even the slightest noise. Right at the entrance of the base, he places two scrolls, the kanji for water plain as day. Forming the ram seal, he made the proper preparations.

'_Sealing Art: Release!'_

Water was silently flowing from the scrolls, running down the stairs and into the base.

He silently flashed through a few hand seals.

'_Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!'_

Soon, all the water from the scrolls was converted into a deep mist and the man performing the task smiled and he pulled the cloak off his body, it would have revealed the golden blond hair of Naruto, if not for the mist.

'_I hate these damn things, they make fighting so much harder…How the Anbu does it, I'll never know.'_

Silently, another figure approached his side. He immediately recognized Haku and was wondering why she was there.

Her hand went into several hand signs.

I'm relieving you

Though he wasn't sure why, he understood and fell back.

The second Haku approached the gate, she understood Ao's reasoning. The hall was only four feet wide, if Naruto used Kubikiribocho, he would hit the side. Nuibari was much more suited to the task at hand.

Silently, she approached the two guards, who-according to Ao-were probably average Chunin. They had gone back to back the second the mist descended into the tunnel. They were afraid.

"Do you see anything bro?"

The other Chunin was barely able to get his shaking under control to reply.

"N-n-nothing…"

A grunt was all he got for a reply as one drew a kunai, ready to fight.

Haku merely walked around them, several time and they were none the wiser.

'_Forgive me.'_

With but a pull over her sword, wire came from all directions, the thin, sharp metal cutting deeply into the nin's skin. However, they could do nothing as they were hoisted up, an excessive amount of blood leaking from their necks as they were crucified, still back to back.

'_Nuibari: Wire Crucifixion'_

With the signal, of three light tabs of her blade against her shoe, the rest of the team was silently at her side in a second.

Ao, having removed his cloak as well, seemed to be peering around.

"All clear until we get to what looks like a holding room."

Zabuza nodded.

"Good, phase 1, complete, Naruto, begin phase two."

With a nod, the blond focused his chakra into the water system of the entire base, every ounce of water he came into contact with, turned to a thick debilitating mist.

Several minutes later, Ao nodded.

"Good, it worked. There isn't a clear room in this base."

Naruto nodded and released his Jutsu, as long as no one interfered with it, the mist would stay for a few hours.

Though he couldn't see it, Haku flashed Naruto a smile while Chojuro clasped his shoulder. As the five began to run, it didn't take long until they were staring at a giant door that looked like it belonged on a bank vault.

"Ao, what's the situation?"

The blue haired man took a second, scanning everything within range.

"From what I can tell, there are roughly 100 combatants of various strength behind these doors. However, there could be more, my range does not reach the back of the room."

'_Something that I will be rectifying as soon as I can get some time for training.'_

The members of the Swordsmen seemed to be in thought before Zabuza shrugged, his sword slicing through the giant door like it wasn't even there.

"Standing here won't help at all."

In an instant, the five were ready for battle.

Ao couldn't stop himself from ranting.

"Damn it, back in my day we actually had a plan when we went into battle. Not this half-cocked, sad excuse for a strategy."

One more slice, followed by a kick and the door that kept them from completing their mission was gone.

However, none of them were ready for what they saw, the room was full of…monsters… no two looked alike, each a killing machine in their own way.

Most looked to be based off one animal or another, some seemed like birds while others looked like dogs. However, they each gave off a foul chakra that simply oozed death.

It didn't take long at all for the mists from the two different rooms to collide, blocking off the little visibility that was available.

At first, it seemed as though the beasts were unable to use any sense but sight. They didn't even move when the door was cut down, they only saw them twitch before the mists collided.

*Orochimaru's Northern Base

The Snake Sannin looked at the misty blue screens of the monitors with a frown.

"Hmm, those who failed to overcome the second form of the curse seal, lost all semblance of sanity. They no longer process sound, smell or touch. If only I had foreseen them using the Hidden Mist Jutsu…"

The frown was slowly replaced with a smirk.

"Oh wait, I did. Kabuto, activate the Sound Base's ventilation system."

The silver haired medic who was standing to Orochimaru's side nodded with a smirk. He made his way over to a series of buttons and levers on the wall, moving to one, he switched the lever up.

*With Swordsmen

Ao stood, confused.

"They don't seem to even acknowledge that we're here… What the hell?"

Zabuza was not known for his patience or tact.

"Who the fuck cares!? Let's just kill them all!"

A loud hum got all of their attention.

"What the hell is that?"

Slowly, the mist had begun to thin out, slowly, the beasts were becoming visible.

Ao had his eyes focused up.

"It seems to be some sort of filtration system, pulling the mist out, filtering it and pumping fresh air back in…"

Suddenly, one hundred pairs of eyes had locked onto them, the beasts varied, however they all appeared dangerous and hungry.

Zabuza had a smile of insane glee on his face.

"This is my favorite part! Just sit this one out, I'll show you why they call me the Demon of the Bloody Mist!"

Without waiting for a response, the older man charged, a single swing of his zanbatou and seven of the creatures fell to the ground, cut in half. The red mist of the blood seemed to linger in the air.

"**RRROOOAAARRR!**"

A giant, tiger like creature swiped its claws at the 'demon', only to have its arm cut off. The other arm followed, finally the head came next.

"**HAHAHAHA! I HAVEN'T LET LOOSE LIKE THIS IN A LONG TIME!**"

In less than five minutes, Zabuza was surrounded by the bisected bodies of every beast-like creature in the room. It seemed as though the bloody mist refused to leave, giving the room a gory atmosphere. The large swordsman was covered in the blood of his enemies, looking every bit the demon his name made him out to be.

*With Sasuke

"**Chidori…**"

Sasuke stood, a ball of lightning forming in his hand, across the field were a dozen wooden targets that looked worn out.

"…**Senbon!**"

Sasuke swiped the attack across and it broke off into dozens of smaller attacks, unfortunately, they went everywhere, and when they hit, nothing happened.

"Damn, I'm getting closer."

After looking at what his last attack did, the last Uchiha made his way over to a tree, leaning against it, he grabbed one of the scrolls from the pile.

Perfecting Shape Manipulation

'_I managed to turn the Chidori from just a ball into something like a blade but this attack is seeming incredibly hard.'_

The sound of feet hitting the ground caused the boy to look up.

"What's up, Kakashi-sensei?"

The silver haired Jonin smiled.

"Just wondering what you were doing. I thought you weren't allowed to train."

A smirk crossed Sasuke's face.

"Nope, I confirmed it with Hokage-sama. I'm not allowed to train on Konoha owned training grounds. The Uchiha clan technically owns this one."

Kakashi nodded sagely, as though he was aware.

"Ah, yes. I just wanted to make sure you were keeping to your punishment."

Though the last part was said with a smile, it was gone quickly, replaced with a serious look.

"Sasuke, I have no doubt that you will be able to beat Itachi, but don't try until you are ready. You can't help anyone if you're dead."

With that, the legendary Jonin was gone and Sasuke was forced to stand there, thinking about what he had said.

*With Orochimaru

Kabuto looked at the screen with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Well, well, well…He sure does know how to put on a show, very impressive. I thought you said even all of them wouldn't make it passed the first door."

Orochimaru just glanced at him out of the corner of his eye but it was enough to get the point across.

"I apologize for my impudence, Orochimaru-sama. However, I can't help but believe it was a mistake to not pursue the man further."

The Snake-like eyes of Orochimaru focused on both, Kabuto and the screens in front of him.

"Yes, it was a mistake on my part. One cannot blame me for overlooking the effectiveness of wielding such an ungodly piece of steel. Activate the first trap, things are just getting interesting."

Kabuto knew his next words could be his last, so he wisely kept his mouth shut as he moved over to the wall of levers again, throwing a different one down.

*With Swordsmen

Naruto gave an impressed whistle when he saw the state of the area.

'_Man, I knew Zabuza was strong, but that is impressive. I've never seen him like this.'_

Ao was attempting to look down each corridor with no success.

"My range is not enough to see the end of any of the tunnels, in the distance I can see, there is only scattered enemies in any direction."

The five found themselves standing in front of the two tunnels, trying to decide which one to take first.

A glow behind them gathered their attention.

Looking back, they saw a symbol on the ground, one they all recognized.

"Exploding tag!"

Each of the five jumped forward, into the tunnels, hoping for some sort of cover.

**BBBBOOOOOOOOMMMM**

As they ran, they turned, only to see a wall of fire coming at them, Haku and Chojuro stopped.

Chojuro slammed his sword into the ground.

"**Hiramekarei: Unlease!**"

Haku flashed through several hand seals as the fire got closer.

"**Ice Release: Ice Wall Jutsu!**"

In two separate tunnels, the flame was stopped, one by a pale blue energy coming from Hiramekarei, the other by a wall of ice, one of the most powerful kekkai genkai of Kiri.

Slowly, both Haku and Chojuro turned, what they saw concerned them greatly.

Chojuro saw the worried figures of Zabuza and Ao, each holding the hand seals for a water wall, the two glanced at each other and nodded.

"Well done Chojuro. Very quick thinking, I don't know if a simple water wall would have worked."

A blush crossed the blue haired teens face.

Haku turned around and only saw Naruto, his hands, too, in the seals for a water wall.

"Good job Haku, I just hope the others are alright."

The two began to make their way that they came from, hoping to meet up with the others, they were quickly disappointed when they came to a wall of rock.

"The explosion collapsed the base…I hope the tunnels didn't get damaged."

Zabuza and Ao inspected the wall of rock in front of them, Ao did not look happy.

"Hmm, Naruto and Haku seem to be fine, they are at the edge of my range so it is blurry, but they're alive. There is probably 200 feet of rock in front of us, we're not going that way."

Zabuza crossed his arms, a glare on his face.

"If we can't go back, then our only option is forward."

'_You better keep her safe, Brat.'_

Haku threw her sword through the chests of three of the creatures, quickly coming around and stabbing them all again in the leg. With a pull of the wire, they were pulled together, as they struggled harder, they only succeeded in slowly killing themselves as arteries and organs were severed, cut and destroyed.

Haku turned to look at Naruto who was whistling happily as he walked, she couldn't help but give him an annoyed glare.

"You do know you could help, right?"

One smile later and her annoyance was melted away.

"Why can't I get mad at you!?"

His smile only widened.

"Because you love me!"

Haku shook her head as she continued to lead the way. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was proud that he would let her lead the way.

'_He truly believes in my strength.'_

Mei had told her earlier, that one of the biggest problems in relationships between ninja, is always wanting to fight in the other's stead, wanting to keep the other safe. This caused a lack of trust between the two, often tearing the relationship apart. However, he seemed just fine with letting her fight her own battles.

With a flick of her wrist, another bundle was made, and there didn't appear to be any more of the beasts.

Naruto continued to walk, by now his hands were resting behind his head, a proud smile on his face. Haku couldn't help but blush slightly.

Ao's palm slammed into another of the beasts' foreheads, liquefying what was left of their brain.

Just as the blue haired Jonin was about to turn around and strike down another of the beasts, Zabuza appeared, a kunai in his hand and a bloodthirsty grin on his face.

The 'demon' rammed the kunai into the beast's neck, practically ripping its head off. The man's grin never wavered.

Chojuro was forced to stand there and watch.

'_Not enough room for three people to fight in this little tunnel.'_

Chojuro watched in awe as the two A-rank ninja systematically tore through the strange, beast like creatures. Ao with a sense of methodical precision while Zabuza wielded one of kiri's curved kunai like a madman, cutting into muscle and bone before finishing the job by ripping off appendages with raw power.

'_I'm getting stronger, but I still have a long way to go.'_

The bloody trial seemed to come to an end when the tunnel opened up into a very large room.

Chojuro was looking around with a sense of wonder, he couldn't believe something so large could exist underground, the roof was over fifty feet at the peak, not to mention is was probably two hundred yards wide. It was a giant dome.

"What is this place?"

Zabuza's eyes were narrowed as he too looked around, the bloodthirsty grin never leaving his face.

Ao was, as always the most logical, he quickly noticed the wooden dummies near the back walls and the scorch marks around the area.

"It seems to a training ground."

Slowly, the ground in the center of the dome began to crack, only Ao noticed the flash of a seal in the center.

After several more seconds, the ground exploded in a shower of dirt and rock. In the center of the room, was a simple wooden coffin and Chojuro was confused.

"What the? What is that?"

After not receiving an answer, Chojuro turned to the two men, only to be shocked when they both displayed fear. Their eyes were staring at the coffin with horror. Carved in the center of the coffin was a single kanji, the number 4.

*With Naruto and Haku

Without a sound, Haku landed next to Naruto, she was breathing rather heavily, blood dripping from Nuibari and onto the floor.

Haku stared impassively at one of the beasts, he was currently tied against one of the many cave supports, several wraps of wire, ensuring he doesn't go anywhere.

"**Nuibari: Wire Decapitation!**"

Haku gave Nuibari a pull, the wire around the creature's neck constricted, blood began to pool and the creature really started to struggle before one sharp pull, and the wire pulled tight, slicing through skin, muscle and bone until nothing was left, the creature's head fell to the ground in a squelch.

The two shared a look before sharing a nod and continuing forward.

The two looked around when they entered a room, it seemed like dozens of giant test tubes.

"What could go in here?"

Haku shrugged as they continued to look around.

"Maybe their making poisons in vast quantities…"

Naruto shrugged as they continued to walk, at least until they walked passed a particular tube.

"Well, well, well, what in the world is a couple of Kiri Shinobi doing in a place like this?"

The voice held no hostility, mere playfulness, like a lion playing with a gazelle. Unfortunately, the lion would need to keep searching if he was after an easy prey.

In an instant, Naruto's eyes became hard.

"Suigetsu Hozuki I presume?"

However, the voice barely even acknowledged his words.

"And not just any ninja, Ninja Swordsmen… Kubikiribocho, always was my favorite, there isn't a sword in this world that has tasted more blood than her. However, I can't ignore the elegant and equally deadly Nuibari. The wielder ain't half bad either, looking good girly."

A growl escaped the lips of Naruto, he obviously wasn't happy with that.

"Oh, got a crush on your teammate? Don't worry, I'll make sure I treat her good."

For the first time, a face appeared in the water, it was foggy and difficult to see but it was there, the smirk was easy to see.

Haku is sure she saw the face's eyes widen when Kubikiribocho cut through his head. Water began pouring from the slash in the tank, when it was finally empty, a figure began to form, right behind Naruto. Naruto didn't bother to move, merely resting the tip of Kubikiribocho against the ground.

Slowly, Suigetsu formed, his finger held to Naruto's head like a gun while his right hand reached around, grabbing the long hilt of Kubikiribocho.

"Give me the sword, kid. I have a dream to reach, and you just so happen to be holding step one."

*With Orochimaru

"Kukukuku, I must say, this is a pleasant surprise. Kabuto, delay the bomb in the holding room. I never expected little Suigetsu to be so against going with the Kiri Ninja."

The silver haired medic nodded as he moved some of the levers around. When he was done, he approached his master, curiosity on his face.

"I must ask, Orochimaru-sama, why did you leave Suigetsu?"

A downright baleful smirk came across Orochimaru's face before it dimmed slightly.

"He is difficult to move. He must be kept in his tank or he will use his Hydrification Jutsu and disappear. That is, after all, how he escaped every time in the past."

Kabuto's cautious nature caused his mind to start working.

'_He's is usually so proud of his plans, but now he's hiding something… But what?'_

Kabuto's attention made its way to the screen with Zabuza's team.

'_This will be a short fight. Nobody in that team will be capable of capturing or defeating the Yondaime.'_

*Iwa's Council Chambers

"We have no choice then, we must declare war!"

Onoki looked to the head of the Renga clan with a sigh, his soft, almost disappointed reply cut through the chambers like a knife through butter.

"Has Iwa truly fallen so far?"

The previously loud chambers were silent, everyone was waiting for the Tsuchikage to continue.

"Tell me, Yuukei, how many Konoha ninja did your clan kill during the last war?"

The man stood, showing off his impressive height. He was over six foot, over two hundred pounds of pure muscle. He wore a standard jonin uniform and like most members of his clan, he had brown hair and green eyes.

"846 confirmed, 142 unconfirmed and we ended the careers of 71 of those bastards!"

Onoki nodded, he figured the man would know the exact number, that was the Renga clan for you.

"Would you like to know my number?"

Everyone in the room silently nodded, usually Onoki called the meeting and said what needed to be said and he was gone, however, this time he was going to force the info on them if he needed.

"6814…each and every one of them unconfirmed. There was nothing left of them to confirm."

The entire room was silenced by that. It was amazing that one man, even as passed his prime as Onoki could even hold as much power.

Even the leader of the Renga clan looked shocked.

"We claim that the Yellow Flash was a monster, but his number, is less than half of mine."

The head of the Kamizuru clan stood, his expression unreadable.

"Why are you informing us of this, after all these years?"

Onoki sighed but before he could speak, the doors to the chamber burst open.

Acting like the seasoned ninja they were, everyone in the chambers were ready to attack in an instant. However, they quickly noticed who it was. The Tsuchikage's face went red with anger.

"What the hell is the meaning of this, Kutsuchi!?"

The teen stepped forward and bowed to his the old man.

"I apologize grandfather, but when Kurotsuchi told me what this meeting was involving, I knew I had to speak up or Iwa could be making a huge mistake!"

Onoki and the rest of the councilors looked at the boy like he was crazy but they shrugged and allowed him to speak.

"Tell me something, if you were walking through a hospital and came across the wife of Naruto Uzumaki and she was about to be kidnapped, tortured, experimented on, and probably killed, would any of you lift a finger to help?"

The silence was deafening and the answer was obvious.

"Before the Chunin exams, I doubt I would have either. If you don't mind, Grandfather, I'd like to make this my mission report as well."

Onoki was confused; however the fact that Kutsuchi spent the invasion in the hospital was a little disconcerting for the old man. He simply nodded to the boy.

"After I had lost to Naruto Uzumaki in the Chunin exam finals, I was transported to the Shinobi hospital where I was treated for several broken bones, severe electrical burns and chakra exhaustion. When they were done, I was fully healed, but still needed to recover my chakra. That was when I heard the explosions and battles begin. I heard what sounded like combat outside my room and grabbed a kunai. The assailant turned out to be an Oto ninja under the guise of a Konoha Genin. He took several minutes to go over the gruesome experiments he was planning on using to try and obtain my Dust Release when someone arrived. I was shocked when it was Haku Momochi-Uzumaki, wife of Naruto Uzumaki and daughter in-law of the Yellow Flash. She saved my life, if not for her, I would be in the clutches of Orochimaru. Since that moment, I have been questioning everything I believed I knew about this world."

Everyone in the council chambers seemed to be lost in thought, digesting the information they just received.

"Before I take my leave, I just want to say one more thing. This is something I have come to the conclusion on. The battalion that the Yellow Flash introduced his attack on, how many men did it consist of?"

One of the elders spoke, their voices far away, obviously deep in thought.

"Just over 9000."

With that, Kitsuchi walked to the door, only pausing for a second.

"If the Yellow Flash had the ability to kill everyone on the battlefield in seconds, then tell me, why did only 2700 die that day?"

With that, the teen was gone.

Onoki continued to stare at the door, his mind racing.

'_Hmph. Maybe you will be taking this seat after all.'_

*With Zabuza, Ao and Chojuro

Chojuro was looking between the coffin and then to the two Jonin, they seemed genuinely afraid.

"What is that?"

Ao barely managed to get the words out of his mouth.

"Orochimaru's Impure Resurrection Jutsu. It summons the dead. The Snake Sannin used it to summon the 1st and 2nd Hokages during the invasion."

Chojuro's eyes were wide.

"But, this says fourth…"

The two Jonin nodded slowly.

Chojuro's eyes widened.

'_The Yellow Flash…'_

A snarl crossed Chojuro's face, he knew they would never be able to beat the 4th Hokage.

"No! **Hiramekarei: Unleash!**"

Chojuro channeled a large amount of chakra into his sword, the hammer was formed.

Chojuro wasted no time and jumped, bringing the hammer straight down onto the coffin, the sound of snapping wood sounded through the room, the coffin was completely destroyed, nothing was left but splinters.

"Did I stop it?"

Chojuro looked back at Zabuza and Ao and they were both looking around for the enemy, when an emotionless voice spoke from behind them.

"**Gold Dust Drizzle.**"

*With Naruto and Haku

Suigetsu had yet to move, his finger at Naruto's head and his other hand trying to pull Kubikiribocho from Naruto.

Naruto's face never changed; however, his left hand remained as his side and went through three hand seals, silently and unnoticed.

"I would suggest moving your hand."

Suigetsu's smirk widened as his finger pressed harder into Naruto's temple.

"Oh, and why is that?"

Naruto wanted so badly, to smirk, but he refused to give the man the credit.

"Because, the Hozuki clan is abnormally weak against lightning jutsu. **Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu.**"

Suigetsu's eyes widened but he didn't move fast enough and he felt the hand on the sword go numb, the feeling running up his arm and into his shoulder.

Haku watched with interest as Suigetsu's right arm seemed to start falling apart, becoming like putty.

Naruto allowed the jutsu to fade and bumped Suigetsu with his shoulder sending the man to the ground.

The white haired Hozuki glared angrily at Naruto.

"I'm going to kill you and pry that sword from your cold, dead fingers."

Naruto turned to the last of the Hozuki clan, his face the very definition of indifference.

"I have orders from the Mizukage, herself. You will be returning to Kiri, one way, or another."

Slowly, Suigetsu stood, his face set in rage.

"I'm going to make you eat those words."

**That's it! Chapter 14 is done!**

**Now, first things first, I seriously doubt I will have an update for 2 weeks. I'm going out of town for the next week, and the day I get back, I've got family visiting for another week. If I happen to find the time to write, then great, if not, oh well.**

**Now, tell me, were you expecting the Yondaime Kazekage? Be honest… I went with him because from what I can grasp, Impure resurrection needs the DNA of the target, Orochimaru killed the man just a few months earlier… That and a fight between them and most of the others would end pretty fast if you get what I mean.**

**What do you think of how I portrayed Suigetsu? **

**Anyways, please review! I'd really like 200 by the time I finish chapter 15!**


	15. Demon's apprentice vs Second Demon

**I'm back! And after only 6 months!**

**I know you all are probably like, 'The hell with this guy, he is unreliable!' Honestly, it's true. After coming back from vacation I was hit with the worst case of writer's block I've ever had! Anyways, I hope I'm passed it. **

**Now then, I hope this chapter is up to par, I read through it like a dozen times to make sure I didn't make any stupid mistakes but I'm sure they're there, I am rusty after all.**

**I just realized, I have not given credit where it is due. Most of the non-cannon Jutsu I have used have been from VynosNeptune's list of elemental Jutsu. It is pretty damn good. If you're having trouble with your own, I suggest you check it out. Just an FYI he's also got a list of non-cannon Genjutsu as well. Although it seems to be gone now…**

**Orochimaru's bases were a pain to figure out which was which. I realized I was using two different bases for the same thing. Just assume Suigetsu was kept in the same base as Jugo, but they did pull him out, since he is too valuable.**

**Chapter 15**

**The Power of Gold Dust and To Convince a Fellow Swordsman**

Naruto glared at the man in front of him.

"Kiri goes through the trouble of saving your ass and this is the thanks you give? You resist and attack the very ones here to save you?"

If anything, the smirk across Suigetsu's face grew.

"Oh, did I hurt someone's feelings?"

Naruto just continued to glare at the last of the Hozuki clan.

"I will be taking that sword."

Naruto watched with interest as Suigetsu seemed to be getting larger, his arms became more defined.

"**Hozuki Secret Jutsu: Great Water Arm Jutsu!**"

Naruto's eyes widened and he barely managed to jump back when Suigetsu charged, his fist barreling through the concrete floor.

'_Such strength…'_

"You're pretty quick on your feet; I can see how you would be able to beat Zabuza-sempai."

Naruto's expression never changed.

"I can't beat Zabuza-sensei."

Half a dozen senbon flew towards Suigetsu and he barely dodged.

"Haku, please stay out of this one. If he wants to fight for Kubikiribocho, then let's allow it. He doesn't stand a chance."

Naruto's grip on his sword tightened as he charged forward.

Try as he might, Suigetsu was unable to dodge Naruto's swing, slashing him from shoulder to hip. Only, instead of blood, water came. The Suigetsu in front of him became a puddle.

'_Water Clone!? When did he make the switch!?'_

Naruto began focusing on the sounds in the room, easily painting a picture of his surroundings.

The sound of moving water had him turning around, just in time for Suigetsu's fist to fly from the puddle of water and nail him in the chin, the blond swordsman was sent several feet in the air when Suigetsu appeared in front of him, his hand was now giant, like a giant hammer.

"It's over!"

When Suigetsu's hammer fist hit Naruto, the boy merely turned to water as Suigetsu landed, his arm returning to normal.

"Impressive switch, barely made it though."

Naruto stepped out from behind some equipment, he was staring impassively at Suigetsu.

"Damn, I forgot your clan is nearly impervious to physical attacks."

*With Zabuza, Ao and Chojuro

"**Gold Dust: Drizzle.**"

With reactions expected of men of their rank, all three quickly turned, only to be shocked as a man Zabuza and Ao vaguely recognized, even if they had never met him before. However, that was of little importance, as there were over a dozen golden bullets heading right for them.

"**Water Release: Water Wall Jutsu!**"

"**Enmajiten!**"

"**Hiramekarei: Unleash!**"

The three defenses sprung up, right in front of the attack, unfortunately, the weight of the golden bullets gave them the power to plow through Zabuza's wall, forcing the man to carefully evade. The other two were impressively solid, holding up against the attack.

When the attack stopped, Zabuza gave Ao a smirk.

"Heh, the Hyuuga clan wouldn't be very happy…Now you're stealing not only their Doujutsu, but also their ultimate defense."

Ao's eyes never left the enemy.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Zabuza rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Heavenly Rotation, Devil's Spin, huge difference there."

A light blush crossed the blue haired man's face and he was about to respond when a shout caught their attention.

"**Hiramekarei: Unleash!**"

The two looked up, just in time to see the blue haired teen charging for the deceased kage, hammer in full form.

Ao's yell never reached Chojuto's ears.

"Damn it kid! Out of all the times to be brave, you choose when fighting the goddamned Kazekage!?"

The emotionless voice of the Kazekage sent a chill down Ao's spine, he would never admit it, but he liked Chojuro.

"**Gold Dust: Wall.**"

Just before Chojuro's hammer hit the auburn haired man, a wall of gold appeared, the boy only succeeded in denting the defense.

"**Gold Dust: Impale.**"

The wall in front of Chojuro began to move slightly. The blue haired boy's eyes widened and he barely managed to jump back, still being stabbed in the shoulder by a single spike.

"Damn. What the hell is this!?"

Zabuza's voice was strangely serious, without any of his earlier bloodlust.

"That, is the Gold Dust Jutsu of the Yondaime Kazekage."

Chojuro's eyes widened.

"What!? But I thought it was the Yondaime _Hokage!_"

Chojuro had taken the break to bandage his arm while Ao and Zabuza continued to stare at the man across the room.

He was about 5'8" with auburn hair and black rings around his eyes, it was made creepier by the fact that the man's eyes were solid black, the white was completely gone.

Ao stepped forward slightly.

"Just be glad it's not the Hokage. I'm sure we would all be dead otherwise. Now, none of that matters. The question is, how do we fight this guy?"

The others never got to answer when the Kazekage's emotionless voice spoke.

"**Gold Dust: Wave.**"

*With Naruto

Naruto ducked under a wild swing from Suigetsu and landed a hard punch to the man's stomach, he was irritated when it turned to water before reforming.

"Not good enough!"

The wind was knocked out of Naruto when Suigetsu's foot hit his stomach.

"Damn it! Every time I hit him, he turns to water!"

Across from his, Suigetsu smirked.

"Sounds like someone is having a bad day…"

Naruto turned his glare to the boy in front of him.

"Yeah, and someone else's is about to get worse."

Holding his sword with his right hand, Naruto's left hand went through three hand seals.

"Oh, hand seals with only one hand is pretty damn impressive, never actually seen it done myself. Heh, not to mention being able to hold Kubikiribocho with only one hand. That thing weighs a ton. You must have trained a lot to reach that level, too bad all that training won't matter after today."

In an instant, Suigetsu's arm swelled again and he ran forward, preparing a punch. However, his eyes widened as he heard Naruto call out his jutsu.

"**Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu.**"

The electricity that surrounded Kubikiribocho had Suigetsu doing everything in his power to jump back and he barely managed, extending one of his arms to grab one of the nearby supports, the lightning infused sword missed him by less than an inch. Suigetsu wasted no time in jumping back, putting plenty of distance between them.

His cocky, amused smirk was no longer present, he was studying Naruto.

*With Zabuza, Ao and Chojuro

The three Kiri nin jumped as high as they could, sticking to the ceiling of the room and avoiding the giant wave of gold.

Zabuza began flashing through several hand seals.

"Let's set the stage. **Water Release: Water Colliding Wave Jutsu!**"

Hundreds of gallons of water began shooting from Zabuza's mouth, all of it pooling on the ground of the room. Soon, the water was several feet deep and the Kazekage was calmly standing on it.

Chojuro shot from the ceiling, his sword at the ready.

"**Hiramekarei: Unleash!**"

Chojuro's favorite hammer formed, aimed right at the Yondaime Kazekage's head.

"**Gold Dust: Wall.**"

Meanwhile, Zabuza and Ao shared a nod as they both began flashing through hand seals.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!**"

Suddenly, the Kazekage turned, a giant dragon made of water formed from the new lake.

"**Gold Dust: Wall.**"

The Kazekage barely had enough dust to stop both Chojuro's and Zabuza's attacks.

"**Water Release: Water Fang Jutsu!**"

A single drill of water shot through the bottom of the water ripping his left leg off, the Kazekage could do nothing as he fell over and into the water, the golden walls falling into dust.

"Ha! We did it!"

When Chojuro looked over to Ao and Zabuza, he was surprised to already see Zabuza flashing through hand seals.

"What are you doing?"

"**Water Release: Water Dragons' Hunting Ground Jutsu!**"

Chojuro watched as Zabuza slammed his hands on the surface of the water, forming three large dragons and they swam off at high speeds, attacking the 'dead' Kazekage.

Ao's eyes were scanning the water for any sign of an attack as he answered Chojuro.

"The Impure Resurrection Jutsu brings the dead back to life, however, they are immortal. They have no chakra limits and they can't die. We don't even know how to go about getting rid of them. All we were able to figure out during our fight with Orochimaru, is they act dead while they are regenerating from potentially fatal wounds. As long as he is severely injured, he can't attack."

*With Orochimaru

"I see…I'm glad I was able to view this fight for myself. The knowledge gained is well worth the loss of the Hozuki kid."

Kabuto too, was watching the screen with interest, his eyes glancing back and forth between the fight against the Kazekage to Naruto's fight with Suigetsu.

"Perhaps, Orochimaru-sama, if you summoned multiple targets, they couldn't keep them injured in such a way."

Orochimaru nodded.

"Yes, I came to the same conclusion."

Kabuto's eyes wandered from the screen where the Kazekage was being repeatedly torn apart by several underwater dragons to watching Suigetsu do everything he could to evade Naruto's sparking sword.

"I don't think Suigetsu will last much longer. Should I set off the bombs in the Suigetsu's tank?"

Orochimaru continued to watch the two screens with interest.

"No… Not just yet, let them have their fun. For now, I saved 12 Cursed Seal failures for just this instance. Hopefully, that will be enough to free the Kazekage. I would hate for the entertainment to end so soon."

*With Naruto

Kubikiribocho sliced through one of the holding tanks like it was made of paper, Suigetsu barely managed to jump backwards.

"Damnit! That is Kubikiribocho! She was not designed for that! If you want to use lightning, you use Kiba!"

Suigetsu was promptly ignored when Naruto took another swing that was barely avoided.

"You're right, she was designed to taste the blood of her enemies, something you are denying her right to do. She is expressing her disappointment as we speak."

The voice Naruto used, sent a chill down Suigetsu's back.

A growl came from the white haired Hozuki's mouth as he began to flash through hand seals. He never got to finish, as the sparking Kubikiribocho came across and cut his hands off, turning them to a putty-like liquid.

Naruto was quick to follow up with a kick to Suigetsu's stomach, he never expected for the boy's stomach to turn into water.

"It's over now!"

A look of anguish passed over Naruto's face and he let off a yell, and for the first time since the start of the battle, blood was drawn as a dozen spikes grew from Suigetsu.

Haku's cries and the clanking of Kubikiribocho hitting the ground was all that was heard.

*With Zabuza, Ao and Chojuro

Ao watched as the Yondaime Kazekage's left leg regrew from the strange, paper like material. However, before it could finish, one of the dragons swam by, its sharp teeth ripping through the kage's flesh and ripping the leg back off.

"Nicely done, Zabuza. How long do you think you can keep this up?"

The large man just scoffed.

"This? I can do this for days."

Ao nodded.

"Good, I have an idea, but will need to test my theory… What we need to-"

**RRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRR**

The sound of feet and claws running down the tunnel had all three of their attention. Ao was focusing particularly hard.

"Damn! There are more of those beast things! These ones are strong! Chojuro, block the tunnel!"

The blue haired teen nodded before he took off.

Chojuro slammed his sword in the ground, right at the entrance and placed both hands on the blade, just as he did, he saw a dozen pairs of evil yellow eyes.

"**Hiramekarei: Unleash!**"

The pale blue energy wall formed, immediately the creatures began using all possible means to destroy it. Claws, fists, teeth…they didn't care.

"Are you good, Chojuro!?"

Chojuro's strained voice barely made it to them.

"Y-yeah, but not for too long…"

Ao nodded and turned to Zabuza.

"You need to keep the Kazekage from recovering. Let Chojuro prove his worth. He'll take care of the beasts. I have a plan, I'll be back."

With that, Ao took off running down one of the many tunnels.

*With Naruto

The blonde swordsman stumbled backwards as he bled from six different locations on his torso.

He glared across from him at Suigetsu, who was panting rather heavily.

Suigetsu glared at him when he saw the wounds he caused were slowly healing.

"What the hell are you!?"

Naruto did is best to stand tall.

"I'm the last of the Uzumaki clan."

That didn't actually mean anything to Suigetsu as he bent down. Suigetsu smirked when he wrapped his hand around the hilt of Kubikiribocho.

"Now then, this fight starts for real…"

Suigetsu charged, bringing the sword towards Naruto's head, but the blonde was not idle, Haku tossed him two senbon that miraculously stood up to the incredible power of Kubikiribocho.

"You're going to need more than those little toothpicks!"

A grunt of pain left Naruto's mouth when Suigetsu launched his foot into his stomach; he was barely able to roll away when Kubikiribocho nearly beheaded him.

The two stood, staring across the field at each other. Naruto and Suigetsu were both smirking.

"Did you know that Samehada is not the only of the Seven to be sentient, well, semi-sentiant in this case."

Slowly, Kubikiribocho began to melt, the smell of blood and death making its way throughout the entire room.

"I-I never knew…"

After several seconds, Kubikiribocho was nothing more than a puddle of blood.

"Nobody did. **Kubikiribocho: Reform.**"

Slowly, the puddle of blood made its way over towards Naruto until it was pooled at his feet. Slowly, the blood grew until the handle of Kubikiribocho was even with Naruto's head. The boy merely grasped the handle, effortlessly picking up the giant blade.

"You should see by now, Kubikiribocho will never be yours."

"**Enmajiten!**"

All three turned just in time to see Ao, a swirl of red chakra around him, demolishing one of the walls.

"Damn, it's about time! We need to hurry! If we don't, we're all dead!"

Naruto and Haku were serious while Suigetsu just stood there, looking at the three like they were idiots, which, in his mind, they were.

"Haku, take care of it!"

"**Ice Release: Arctic Air Jutsu!**"

A solid white breath of air left Haku's mouth and before the white haired man could do anything, he was frozen solid.

"Come on!"

Naruto grabbed Kubikiribocho while Ao threw Suigetsu over his shoulder and in an instant the three were running back.

"So what's going on?"

"We encountered the Yondaime Kazekage, reborn by Orochimaru's jutsu."

Both, Haku's and Naruto's eyes widened, neither one of them knew anything about the Kazekage but to become the leader of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, you had to be abnormally strong, even among S-rank ninja.

"I thought you guys said that the Shodaime and Nindaime Hokages were immortal. How do you expect us to beat them?"

Ao turned back to them, a slight smirk on his face.

"Not both of you, just her."

Naruto turned to his wife that seemed slightly surprised.

"Me?"

Ao nodded, never breaking stride.

"Yeah, I know you didn't fight them, but try and keep up. They regenerate nearly instantly, but as long as they are mortally wounded, they can't fight. Right now, Zabuza's water dragons are tearing him apart as fast as he can heal."

Before Ao could speak anymore, the tunnel opened up.

"Ha!"

Chojuro's foot slammed into a reptilian beast's face, sending him skidding back, however he looked relatively unharmed.

Chojuro however, was panting heavily, his left arm hung uselessly by his side with a lot of blood dripping from his torn shoulder.

The blue haired teen didn't even notice the newcomers when his right arm began glowing with a pale blue energy.

"I might die trying, but you won't get any closer!"

Chojuro's glowing fist buried deep into the chest of the same reptilian beast. Unfortunately one of the beast's claws caught his forehead, the gash quickly started bleeding but he paid it no mind. Chojuro knew he needed to work fast and as quick as he could, dashed towards Zabuza, prepared to defend him with his life.

A beast that looked like an ogre charged forward, his fist ready to strike. Chojuro prepared to block, but the blood from his head found its way into his eyes. With the noise in the room he couldn't pinpoint the attack and the boy merely crossed his arms in front of his head, waiting for the strike.

However, it never came.

"Good job kid. I'm proud of you. We'll take it from here."

Chojuro wiped the blood from his eyes and looked up, only to see Ao smiling proudly at him. That was the last sight he saw before darkness claimed him.

*With Orochimaru

"We have no other traps in the training grounds, do we?"

The glass in Orochimaru's hand shattered as he clenched his hand around it.

"No. I knew the Kazekage was weak, but I never thought he would be beaten so easily."

Kabuto turned to the screen, just in time to see Naruto slice through the last three Curse Seal failures.

"Hmm, how do you suppose they will handle this? They need to repeatedly hurt him…"

The two watched with interest as Haku stood right above the Kazekage.

*With Naruto and team

"**Ice Release: Arctic Air Jutsu!**"

Haku gathered the coldest chakra she could muster before blowing all of it directly over the water. Slowly, a layer of ice covered the water, before the ice began to spread.

"The ice is making the water to thick! I can't keep up my jutsu! Hurry Haku!"

Haku's face began to turn red with exertion as she used as much chakra as she could find and after 10 seconds, she fell unconscious, the entire field was frozen solid.

"We should hurry, just in case."

The others nodded and each grabbed someone. Ao grabbed Chojuro, Zabuza grabbed Suigetsu and Naruto grabbed Haku, each running as fast as they could before they were attacked again.

It was one week after the fiasco in Orochimaru's base and he could say, without a shadow of a doubt, it was good to be home.

Haku and Chojuro had recovered quickly, mainly thanks to Ao's limited knowledge of medical chakra. Now, the group of four, with one – frozen – prisoner, were at the main gate of Kiri, there was a large contingent of Kiri-nin there, mostly those who knew Mangetsu, including the Mizukage herself.

"What the hell!? That man is a hero to Kiri, not a prisoner!"

Ao shrugged and gestured to Naruto.

Mei turned to everyone else that was there.

"Ok, this is over! I'm going to figure out exactly what it is that is happening, and then you can speak with Suigetsu."

It was only a matter of moments before the gate was cleared.

"Let's go…"

She turned on her heel and everyone followed without a word.

*Mizukage's office.

"Why don't you start with why the kid-brother of one of Kiri's greatest heroes is a popsicle."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, a habit he thought he had crushed.

"Well, you see…"

Haku took over at that moment.

"Kiri may view him as a hero, but he is not too fond of our land."

Mei's eyes narrowed.

"He expressed a great dislike for us, as Kiri Shinobi. Plus, he was only interested in obtaining Kubikiribocho from Naruto."

Haku continued on, going into great detail of their encounter with the heir to the Hozuki clan.

Mei rested her chin on her laced fingers as she thought over everything.

"I see, you two are dismissed. However, I'm going to need you to stay out of sight. I'm sure you can guess why. We don't need any unrest, Yagura owned a plot of land on the eastern coast of water country, why don't you two go spend the next two weeks relaxing while I deal with the mess here."

Before she was even finished talking, the two were gone.

A small smirk made its way onto her face.

"To be young and in love…"

With a sigh, she stood and made her way to the council chambers. She knew they would be waiting for her to make a report.

Several minutes later, she was proven correct when she saw every member of the Shinobi council along with the civilian representative.

The honorable elder spoke, his voice as regal as ever.

"I do hope they had a good reason for their actions."

Mei nodded to the man.

"Yes, the official report has not yet been written, but I received a verbal report of the occurrences."

Everyone in the room shifted, they wanted to hear this.

"Suigetsu did not wish to be there, but neither did he wish to be rescued by us."

Everyone in the room seemed surprised, but before they could interrupt, Mei continued.

"Upon seeing them, playful banter was exchanged between Suigetsu and Naruto. That was when Suigetsu made his move. His goal was to take Kubikiribocho from Naruto."

The Honorable Elder stroked his beard in thought.

"If I remember correctly, Hiramekarei was Mangetsu's favorite while Kubikiribocho was Suigetsu's. It makes a bit of sense when you think about it. When we all thought Mangetsu died during that botched mission to Ame, Suigetsu blamed Kiri for his death and began to resent this land. Before long, he had no more desire to become one of the seven swordsmen, he wanted to rule them. He wanted to take each and every one of the seven before finding them new wielders under his own banner, instead of Kiri."

Nearly every member on the council could only stare at the honorable elder in shock, all of them sharing an identical thought.

'_How does he remember that, that was over 2 years ago…'_

A smirk was firmly planted on the old man's face and everyone got the message. 'He may be old, but he is still a Shinobi.'

"Now, under heavy guard, I advise you wake him up in order to speak with him. This could have all been a misunderstanding. What are your thoughts on this Mizukage-sama?"

Mei continued to think, her fingers laced under her chin for nearly a minute.

"I agree."

With that, the council began debating on who would be suitable to guard him.

As this was going on, Mei's mind began to wander to a letter she kept hidden in her desk, one she received only days before Mangetsu's death.

_FLASHBACK_

_Mei could only stare at the battle plans that had been laid out in front of her. Two days… that's how long she had to prepare. They had everything mapped out, the entrance they would take, the location of stationary guards, as well as the roving guard shifts and areas. They also had the ranks and names of the guards scheduled to work that night._

_She continued to pour over everything. If even one guard was out of place or off schedule, the entire plan would fail and they would be fighting not only the Mizukage and his personal guard, but all of Kiri as well._

_Just as she was about to start over, going over the plan for the hundredth time, there was a knock at her door._

"_Yes?"_

"_It's me…"_

_Her brows furrowed in confusion._

"_Mangetsu? What are you doing here?"_

_She quickly got up and opened the door, a kunai clutched behind her back._

"_Waves will crash upon Kiri…"_

_Without a seconds hesitation, Mangetsu returned the other half key._

"_When lightning strikes upon the Three-Tails."_

_She gave a slight smile and allowed him to enter, she immediately made her way back to her bed, continuing to look over the plans._

"_What's wrong Mangetsu?"_

_The white haired man shrugged._

"_I'm just getting a bad feeling… I'm worried I won't make it."_

_Mei looked up in surprise._

"_What would give you that impression, you're the second strongest person on our side, maybe the strongest if you can get one of the swords."_

_Mangetsu just gave a noncommittal nod._

"_Yeah… I already know I'm living on borrowed time. I should have died 3 years ago when the Mizukage set me up. If I hadn't washed up into Misaki's village, I have no doubt I would have died."_

_By this point, Mei was looking at the swordsman with a serious expression on her face._

"_What are you trying to say?"_

"_I'm just saying that the Shinigami failed to take my soul once, I don't think he's going to let me go twice. You know, I only have one regret."_

"_Suigetsu…"_

_Mangetsu gave the woman a short nod._

"_I had gotten so comfortable in that small, peaceful village… If only I had done something to find my memories… I could have come straight back, maybe I could have found him before he ran."_

_A single tear fell from Mangetsu's eye._

"_Hey, you and I know you and your brother were a lot alike… We also know he is out there, somewhere causing mayhem somewhere. You will find him."_

_Mangetsu almost seemed to ignore her as he began speaking again._

"_Yeah, maybe. Mei, I want you to promise me… If I'm not around to keep looking, I need you to do it in my place."_

_A stern look crossed her face._

"_You will be there to search yourself."_

"_PROMISE ME!"_

_Mei was shocked, she had never seen him so passionate._

"_I promise, I will do everything in my power to find your brother…"_

_Almost instantly he calmed down._

"_Here…"_

_Mangetsu handed Mei a simple scroll addressed to his brother._

"_If he's as hard-headed as I am, this should help you get through to him."_

_With that, Mangetsu left._

_END FLASHBACK_

Mei shook herself from her thoughts, focusing her attention on the meeting at hand.

*With Naruto and Haku

"This is awesome!"

Haku had a huge smile on her face as she walked next to Naruto. She couldn't help but look around at the sandy beach.

"This is amazing. With all the horrible things I have heard of Yagura, I never thought he would appreciate beauty like this."

The place truly was amazing, it was surprisingly humble, just two small grass huts no bigger than a standard bedroom. The white sand beaches were clearly untouched, coconut trees ripe for the picking, and the sound of the waves painted a picture of serenity.

With a smile on his face, Naruto walked over to one of the many coconuts at the base of the tree and easily cracked it open. He savored the sweet milk from the center. He was almost half-way done when he found the coconut gone.

"You're supposed to share…"

Haku had a smirk on her face as she finished the drink, all the while, Naruto sat and pouted.

That is, until the odd shape caused the raven haired woman to spill some milk down her neck.

Naruto's eyes followed the milk like a magnet held them, just as the drop was about to disappear into her kimono, he attacked. His lips seeking the sweetness of her skin, the milk merely added to the nirvana they both felt.

Instantly, the coconut hit the ground as Haku wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. A pleasured sigh escaped her lips as he nipped at her neck.

*Kiri Holding Cell

Zabuza, Chojuro, and Mei stood in front of two medic nin.

Mei gave the two a nod and they began to run their green hands over the form of Suigetsu.

Slowly but surely, the frozen boy began to thaw. After nearly ten minutes, Suigetsu resembled a puddle in the middle of the room.

"It should only take him a few minutes to reform…"

The three watched carefully as he began to shift, they could sense the pulses of chakra he was using to pull himself together. Before long, he was beginning to resemble the man he was.

Suigetsu was shocked, he was looking around rapidly, he should have been expecting to wake up in some sort of prison… It always happened like that.

"Welcome back to Kirigakure, Suigetsu-san."

*With Naruto and Haku

Naruto's eyes were on the verge of falling from his head as his incredibly tantalizing wife paraded herself down the beach in an incredibly skimpy blue with black lace bikini.

As the black haired girl walked towards the water with a hypnotic sway to her hips, a noise broke him from his own little world.

To most, it would have gone unheard, however, Naruto was no normal ninja.

'_Is that… Giggling?'_

"hehehehe… Oh yeah, you are looking good, Yuki-hime…"

By now, Naruto's face is red with rage as his hands begin to blur…

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu!**"

His words quickly get Haku's attention and she is by his side in an instant, several senbon made from ice, ready to be thrown.

However, the girlish scream that came from the woods threw her off.

"What the hell!?"

By this point, Naruto had resorted to grumbling and pouting.

"Stupid, perverted old men… Jiraiya! Get your ass out here!"

*Konoha: Team 7

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at his teammates; Sakura and Sai. He was incredibly wary of Sai, the boy just rubbed him wrong. The way everything he did seemed… forced. As though he had wasn't even human. Then there was Sakura, while he knew she would do anything to assist him, the list of what she could do was rather limited. She had been improving lately, it wasn't overly impressive.

The watchful eye of his Sharingan noticed a twitch in the woods ahead.

Keeping his voice as low as possible, Sasuke spoke.

"Target sighted…2 o'clock at 280 meters."

Both Sai and Sakura locked onto his general location. Without the aid of a doujutsu, they were unable to make out the ripples of the target but they knew better than to question Sasuke when it came to eyesight.

"Standard Flying V attack formation on my mark."

The other two nodded towards the current team-leader.

"3, 2, 1…Mark!"

Like a bullet the three were off, Sasuke leading the charge with Sai and Sakura on his rear right and left flank respectively.

Sasuke flashed through some of his favorite hand seals.

"**Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!**"

A dozen fireballs short from Sasuke's mouth and converged onto one location.

The target had no choice but to flee. Jumping from the branch it had been perched on caused a distorting effect as it moved, easily allowing Sai and Sakura to get a lock on his position. (Think the Predator camouflage)

Hoping to herd him where they had prepared the trap, Sakura let a handful of shuriken fly. The distortion began moving in the wrong direction, much to Team Seven's ire.

Sai was quick to assist.

"**Super Beast Imitation Jutsu!**"

Half a dozen black and white lions came to life, springing from a scroll he kept in his possession. With surprising speed, they shot off, cutting the target's escape route.

Sasuke saw his opportunity when the target stumbled slightly. He quickly scooped three shuriken from his pouch, not even taking a second to aim, he flashed through a few hand seals.

"**Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!**"

Team Seven was rewarded with a grunt of pain and the spraying of blood.

*With Suigetsu

The glare Suigetsu was sending them was almost enough to make them wince.

"Shut your damn mouth! We all know my brother died on that mission almost 4 years ago!"

Mei attempted to give Suigetsu's shoulder a comforting squeeze but it was apparent that it was having the opposite effect. She quickly noticed and removed her hand.

"I'm sorry Suigetsu, but it's true. Yagura wanted to eradicate your clan but knew Mangetsu was strong enough to fight off anyone he sent, short of going himself. He arranged for a well-known gang of missing-nin to attack him on his way back from his mission. He would have died if he didn't wash upon the shores of Lightning Country. He had lost all his memory; he didn't even know his name. It wasn't until almost a year later when the small village he was living in was attacked by some bandits. After he killed them, his life came back to him in flashes. He remembered who he was. He managed to contact some of his old comrades from ANBU, who put him in contact with me. He was quickly made 2nd in command of the rebellion until he lost his life."

By this point Suigetsu was squeezing the chair he was strapped to so hard the metal began to bend slightly.

"Lies… It has to be a lie! He would have told me he was alive!"

Mei sighed sadly.

"He tried…"

Suigetsu's head snapped towards the red haired woman.

"It was the deal we made. He assists us in fighting the war, and in exchange, every available asset or spy we had on the outside was to keep one eye open and both ears to the ground for anything pertaining to you…"

Suigetsu didn't know what to say.

"I… I don't believe you."

The Mizukage turned to the others who were present.

"Give us a few minutes…"

All occupants began shouting their objections.

Mei turned to them with a sickly sweet smile.

"I'm the Mizukage for a reason… Now…Out!"

With concerned expressions the left the room.

Meanwhile, Suigetsu was staring at the woman with suspicion in his eyes.

"You know, I think your bother knew he was going to die that day…"

Suigetsu didn't say anything.

"Two days before the day of his death he walked into my room around midnight and asked me to hold this for you."

She pulled a simple looking scroll from her robe.

"I honestly don't even know what it is. Here."

With that, she set the scroll on the table and walked over to one of the walls.

"As I said before. Kiri and I owe your brother, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if we kept you prisoner. So, here."

She placed one hand on the wall and focused her Earth chakra and slowly a hole began to form until it was nearly a foot wide.

She walked passed his chair and touched the seals that kept him tangible.

"I do hope you will at least read the scroll first."

With her piece said, she left the very confused swordsman alone, staring at what was basically his brothers last words.

With a sigh, he jumped from the hole, landing in the woods before taking off.

Back in the room, the table was empty.

*With Naruto

Naruto and a more dressed Haku were staring at the Toad Sage like he was insane.

"So what you're telling me, is you want me to go with you, on a 3 year journey, alone…"

Jiraiya was wearing one of his rare serious expressions as he gave a quick nod.

"Yeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh….. I don't think so… Galavanting around with a foreign Shinobi for 3 years sounds like a way to get caught up in some political red tape. I don't like it… Not to mention 3 years without Haku would be torture."

Haku nodded a frown on her face.

"It's a good thing you said no… You made a promise to me and I intend to make you keep it. I stay by your side, husband!"

Jiraiya could only turn his head from Naruto to Haku, unsure of what to do.

'_Damn, this was only supposed to be me and Naruto… Well, I might be able to make it work…'_

"I think I can work around that… How would you, little lady like to be trained by the Great Jiraiya-sama!?"

Haku stared at the man with a deadpan look.

"Yes! Please can I stay with the perverted old man who was just checking me out…You must be joking."

Jiraiya could only sweatdrop…

'_I guess I kind of asked for that one…'_

Haku continued to speak.

"However, if my other option is to be separated from Naruto again, I will force myself to put up with your presence."

Jiraiya's sweatdrop formed again.

"This is gonna be fun…"

Naruto could only sheepishly scratch the back of his head at his wife's behavior.

*Mei

"You did what!?"

Mei glared at Ao.

"It was the least I could do for him! I refuse to keep him here as a prisoner! His brother fought and died so that Kiri could be reborn into a better nation than it was! Do you want to spit on his grave by forcing his little brother into a cell, just for our own benefit!? We would be no better than that bastard Yagura!"

Ao couldn't say anything to that.

He sighed and leaned against the wall as Zabuza and Chojuro watched, both wearing solemn faces.

Mei muttered a prayer under her breath as she opened the door.

The room was empty…

The red-haired beauty's face fell into a solemn one.

**That is it! It only took me 6 months LOL! **

**POLL! Naruto's summon- This is probably where my motivation to continue the story came from… I was bored and on Netflix when I turned on ****How to Train Your Dragon The Book of Dragons ****I saw the Thunder Drum and was like, that would be awesome for Naruto. Fast in water, wings to fly… plus the idea of the concussive sound attack is pretty cool. If I do go with Thunder Drum or even one of the other dragons, it will be the only one of its kind… I figure Orochimaru has to be doing experiments on things other than himself right… I usually get annoyed by dragon summoning contracts so, if you guys don't like the idea, let me know and give me some ideas for a new one.**

**The fight with the Kazekage was pretty anti-climatic huh…**

**I chose the Fourth Kazekage, because he is definitely strong, but not so strong that they would never be able to beat him… Plus it made sense, Orochimaru just killed the man a few months earlier, there is no way he didn't get some of the man's DNA for such a reason.**

**I tried to portray that Orochimaru is still working on perfecting the Impure Resurrection… He is getting closer and closer, but still has a ways to go. I just watched the Sarutobi vs. Orochimaru fight to make sure I was right, at least in the beginning, the Shodaime and Nindaime were dead-like as long as they were mortally injured…**


	16. Jiraiya's Brilliant Idea

**I got this chapter done pretty quick but I'm gonna take a few days and map out the rest of the story, so far I've been flying by the seat of my pants. Hasn't been too bad but I don't want to forget anything. Anyways, on with the chapter!**

_Previous Chapter:_

_Sasuke saw his opportunity when the target stumbled slightly. He quickly scooped three shuriken from his pouch, not even taking a second to aim, he flashed through a few hand seals._

"_Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!"_

_Team Seven was rewarded with a grunt of pain and the spraying of blood._

**Chapter 16**

**Jiraiya's Plan**

Kakashi's camouflage faded from the attack, he was rather irritated.

'_I didn't know Sasuke know the Shadow Shuriken Jutsu…'_

Though he was irritated, he was also proud which won out his irritation.

"Nicely done team."

Sakura seemed to be grumbling to herself though.

"Problem, Sakura?"

She huffed and turned her head.

"I spent all night working up the perfect trap that could be especially effective, difficult to dodge as well as quick to construct using only the list of things I had."

He glanced at the list in her hands and smiled fondly at it, Minato-sensei gave Rin the same exact test once. She could be quite the trap maker.

"Well then, let's see how you did. Walk me through it."

Sakura took to her confident, almost arrogant tone she took whenever she explained something to someone.

"First, we had to force you into this clearing then, depending on where you landed would determine the traps we set off."

In demonstration, she walked over and cut a piece of ninja wire, 13 shuriken shot from the woods, they covered a large area so the odds of getting hit were fairly good.

"Seeing as our mission was to get you to drop your Camouflage Jutsu you would have had to substitute, being unable to touch any of them. That brings us to our second trap…"

She looked at Kakashi with a deadpan look.

"The slinky…"

The group walked towards the only broken branch in the area large enough to substitute with. Coiled underneath it was a tangled up old slinky.

Kakashi smiled fondly while looking at it.

'_Rin did the same thing. I think that was the only time we almost got Sensei…'_

Sakura began to explain when Kakashi beat her to it.

"When I had substituted with the branch my feet would get tangled…"

Two of the three genin watched Kakashi curiously as he reached down, examining the slinky much closer. They could clearly see the nostalgia on his covered face.

As they stood there, Sasuke couldn't believe his luck… After all, he should still be on house arrest.

_FLASHBACK_

_Sasuke stood in front of the Hokage's desk as the man scrutinized him for all he was worth. Tsunade Senju was next to him and was boring through his scull with her eyes._

"_Sasuke Uchiha, after much consideration, the words of Inochi Yamanaka, as well as the words of several Anbu who have been watching you, I have decided to shorten your sentence."_

_The smirk that was about to cross his face was wiped out when both Tsunade and Sarutobi sent a blast of killer intent at him. _

"_Do not begin to think for even a second, that I'm doing this for you, or the Uchiha clan… I'm doing this for young Sakura Haruno. I don't give a shit about what your last name is. However, that young girl has a lot of untapped potential. However, due to her childhood she is very easily intimidated and will not adapt well to a new, temporary teammate."_

_Sasuke gave a slow nod._

"_Until your full 3 months are carried out, I'm placing you back onto Team Seven. You will attend community service working under Ibiki Morino every day after your D-ranks and training. Is that understood?"_

_Sasuke could only nod._

_END FLASHBACK_

Sasuke broke out of his reminiscing just in time for Kakashi to do the same.

The Jonin stood.

"Ok, onto the next trap…"

*With Naruto, Haku and Jiraiya

"Well, congratulations. You have her convinced but I'm not going anywhere."

The Toad Sage could only stare at the blonde.

"What do you mean? You don't want to train with me?"

Naruto just stood there, his arms crossed over his chest with a serious expression on his face.

"Not particularly, I mean, don't get me wrong, the month during the exams was very helpful, but I haven't even gotten close to mastering it. I've been doing pretty well on my own, I have plenty of strong sparring partners around here, plus, real missions will get me the experience I lack."

Jiraiya was having difficulty coming up with a good reason for him to go with him.

"I can teach you one of the strongest Jutsu in Konoha's library… It was even created by your father."

Now Naruto was wide-eyed.

"You can teach me the Hiraishin!?"

Jiraiya sweat-dropped.

"Uhh, sorry kid. The Hiraishin died with Minato…"

Naruto looked truly disappointed at that.

"But, I can teach you the Rasengan!"

Naruto was less than impressed.

"Umm, Kubikiribocho is about as effective as that would be…"

Jiraiya got a smug look on his face as he stood up and walked towards a large tree.

"Are you sure…"

In a flash, a Rasengan formed in his hand and he sent it towards the tree. The attack easily broke through the bark before the attack exploded sending wood chips in every direction. The tree slowly began to fall.

"See…"

In an instant, Naruto's face went serious and his hand wrapped around the handle of Kubikiribocho and he was gone. His blade glinting in the sun as he moved.

He was back to standing next to Haku when the tree hit the ground. However, instead of staying as one large tree, when it hit the ground it was in hundreds of pieces resembling firewood.

"As I said, Kubikiribocho is remarkably effective…"

Jiraiya couldn't believe the skill Naruto wielded his sword with…

'_Damn kid… Oh well.'_

"Fine, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this… I really was hoping you would come because you wanted too, but here."

With that, he pulled a scroll from his pocket. Naruto and Haku both recognized the Mizukage's seal.

Naruto wasted no time and grabbed the scroll.

Orders for: Naruto Uzumaki

Mission Type: Training

Duration: 2-3 Years

Location: Unknown

Briefing: Akatsuki has proven that they are not afraid of entering and facing an entire village. Kiri cannot provide you the protection you need until you can stand against their might on your own. In regards to that, Jiraiya has offered to bring you on a trip around the Elemental Nations keeping you hidden from Akatsuki and if they do discover your location, he will be adequate to defend you. Your location will remain secret, even to me. I thought it best to send you straight from where you are so nobody could track or follow you. If nobody knows where you are, the info can't be leaked. If I know you like I think I do, you can bring Haku.

Departure: Immediately

Godaime Mizukage: Mei Terumi-Momochi

Naruto could only look up at Jiraiya in shock, this was clearly ordered by the Mizukage. It just didn't make sense, she had clearly stated that she needed him there until Kiri could get closer to recovery.

However, the Mizukage seal couldn't be forged… this was legit. With a sigh, Naruto spoke.

"When do we leave?"

Jiraiya smirked at his success.

"Now."

*With Suigetsu in Water Country

Suigetsu sighed as he settled into a seated position, not even caring about the 25 bloody bodies surrounding him. The each wore various types of armor and reeked of alcohol. The camp was set up about half a mile from the small village he was heading to when he stumbled upon the bandit camp. A well-organized one at that. Six cages that each contained a dog or wolf that looked positively bloodthirsty. Not to mention the dozen crude wooden stocks. They were armed for war, clearly preparing to invade the very town he was on his way to.

"At least these idiots were good for something. I was starving!"

The teen broke off a piece of bread and ate.

'_Now then, I just need to find a weapon among all this…'_

The last Hozuki looked at the pile of weapons in front of him. From first glance he could tell most of them were garbage. He only hopped there was a treasure in there somewhere.

The first one he grabbed was a katana…

"hmm, good balance, decent steel. Let's see…"

After only a little tension the blade broke in half.

"Great, just great…"

He reached for another…

*Several Days Later, in Konoha

The Sandaime Hokage looked over the crowd gathered before him.

"I have served this village for many years. I am deeply ashamed to not have been able to give the ultimate sacrifice to see Konoha prosper, but perhaps I was not meant to perish just yet. Perhaps there is something I must do first. It is with great honor that I present to you, your Godaime Hokage. My very own student; Tsunade Senju."

Tsunade stepped out only the stage area, a light blush dusting her cheeks as her sensei placed his hat and robes on her.

She couldn't help but feel nervous as she looked out at nearly all of Konoha.

"It is with great honor, I take up the mantle to defend this great village. I _am _your Godaime Hokage and I will protect each and every one of you, _with my life!_"

The cheering could be heard for miles. The residents of Konoha had no idea of the hard times before them.

*One week later With Mei

Mei sighed, frustrated when she walked into her office. She had been getting excessive amounts of hostility from the councilmen for the last week, ever since she allowed Suigetsu to run. The second she stepped into her office, she noticed something was wrong.

Sitting on her desk was a single scroll…

She quickly drew a kunai and pulsed her chakra twice.

Instantly two of her personal body guards were at her side, kunai drawn.

"Orders, Mizukage-sama?"

Mei stood, silently for a few seconds before speaking.

"Get me the tower guard for last night. Someone was in my office…"

She let the words hang and in a swirl of mist, one of the masked body guards was gone. Only to return several seconds later with a third Anbu.

"Yes, Mizukage-sama?"

"Who entered my office last night?"

The man appeared as confused as possible when his face wasn't visible.

"No one Mizukage-sama, I was personally on duty outside your office all night. No one entered and no one left. The window seals were never breached."

She turned to one of her personal guards, he did not disappoint.

"I sense no lie, Mizukage-sama."

Mei nodded.

She looked towards the two Anbu near the tower guard.

"I apologize for this, it is only protocol but until I know for sure you will have to be locked up."

Though the man seemed depressed, he nodded.

"I understand Mizukage-sama."

Mei gave him a disarming smile.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you get the best amenities to make up for it…"

The man nodded and was calmly lead away.

Now it was only Mei and her personal guard. She turned to her guard.

"Ao, remove the mask. Can you see anything in it?"

The blue haired man removed his mask before activating his hidden Byakugan, staring intently at the scroll.

"It is difficult to make out, but it seems to just be a letter, I sense no traces of chakra and can see no seals."

With a deep breath, she approached the scroll.

"Mei-sama! You can't!"

Mei gave Ao a glare.

"S-sorry…"

With slow movements she picked the scroll up and opened it.

They both let out a breath when nothing happened. Then she began reading…

*Konoha Same Time

Tsunade unceremoniously plopped herself into her chair. Her eyes lidded with exhaustion.

"I've been Hokage for like a week and already I can feel more wrinkles… How the hell did that old man do it?"

With a sigh, she began going through the paperwork that had piled onto her desk.

After about ten minutes, the secretary knocked.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade looked up with a raised brow.

"Yea?"

The secretary looked proud as she held up a small scroll.

"You missed this in the overnight box. It may be important. The overnight box isn't used very often."

Tsunade nodded and was about to tell the girl to just put it with the rest, but the girl had a gleam of anticipation in her eyes. Clearly hoping to be praised.

"Thank you very much. Let's make sure it isn't an emergency."

With that, the secretary handed the new Hokage the scroll. With a sigh she opened it.

All over the Elemental Nations two screams of rage could be heard.

Tsunade-hime;

By the time you read this, there is nothing you can do to change the course of events that will follow. By this point, I have effectively kidnapped on of Kiri's strongest ninja, my godson. Think what you may, but I did it for his safety. Do what you must, but make sure the alliance remains undamaged. If you must, I even left my old Konoha forehead protector. I understand if I see my picture in Konoha's Bingo Book within the next few months. I have already sent a similar letter to the Mizukage… I plan to keep him completely out of sight and unseen for the next two-three years.

Stay strong

Jiraiya the Toad Sage 

Tsunade could only stare at the paper in absolute shock. Not even knowing where to begin.

*With Mei

Mei was glaring at the paper in her hands with enough intensity to turn it to ash, however, she refused to do so. She had to re-read the paper first.

Mizukage-dono

I would like to start off with an apology. I sincerely hope this will not impact your village in a negative manner. Several days ago I approached Naruto and Haku at a small vacation home. One thing that not many people know about me, is that I am a rather skilled forger and when necessary, manipulator. I even have the skill to forge a Kage's seal. Like say, the Seal of the Mizukage. I forged orders from your desk ordering him to accompany me on a 2-3 year training trip, under the guise of keeping him hidden from Akatsuki until he is strong enough to fight them one-on-one. Konoha has nothing to do with this, and the Hokage is finding out as you read this. I can only pray you will not hold them responsible for my actions as I have already formally resigned as a Konoha Shinobi.

Jiraiya The Toad Sage

Mei's hands began to shake as killer intent began to leak from the woman like a faucet.

*Both Kage

"AO GET ZABUZA!"

"YUGAO GET KAKASHI!"

"**NOW!**"

Both Anbu guards disappeared as quickly as possible.

*With Naruto, Haku and Jiraiya

Jiraiya could only stare, slack-jawed.

"**Rasengan!**"

"**Rasengan!**"

Two separate balls of chakra tore through the trees like they were made of butter.

Naruto turned to his wife with a smile on his face.

"Ha! Can you believe it took him 3 months to learn that!?"

Haku nodded with a smile. They completed the Rasengan in 3 days…

"Yes, for such a high ranking ninja, he appears to be rather slow on the uptake."

Jiraiya's head lowered in depression. They had been like that the whole time, insulting him at every turn.

'_Then again, they I did peek on her the first night… That's not my fault, I didn't even know she was in the Spring…'_

Jiraiya shook himself awake.

"Well, that was impressive. You both learned the Rasengan in only a few days. I thought I would have a little longer than that to come up with the next stage of training. Let's have quick spar, the ferry to The Land of Wind leaves in 2 and a half AHHHH."

Jiraiya barely ducked under Kubikiribocho as it nearly decapitated him. Only to be face-to-face with the business end of Nuibari.

The old sage tilted his head only slightly, allowing the needle sword to sail safely by.

With movements that belied his age his knee shot into Haku's stomach, she was easily doubled over. Something that Jiraiya used to his advantage, he grabbed the girl by the waist and threw her into Naruto.

Both swords hit the ground with a clang as the teens flew back. They never got the chance to recover when Jiraiya shouted.

"**Earth Release: Earth Wall!**"

A wall of rock sprouted from the ground and Naruto ran into it, back first.

"Not bad kids, but I been living in this world for far too long to not read an attack like that."

Naruto and Haku stood slowly, having yet to gather their breath.

Naruto's voice was strained and breathless.

"God damn… How the hell?"

Much like Haku's.

"I have no idea, I don't think I've ever been hit so hard. Did you notice?"

Naruto spared a glance at his wife before focusing on Jiraiya and his big, stupid grin.

"You mean that he angled you so that your head would slam into my stomach, yeah."

Jiraiya's smile grew.

"Don't tell me you swordsmen are done already!"

Naruto and Haku both sent the man a glare as they flashed through hand seals.

"**Lightning-Water Dragon Missile!**"

"**Ice Release: Ice Javelin!"**

Jiraiya barely twisted his body out of the way when a six foot spear of ice flew by, burying itself completely underground.

However, the giant dragon was bearing down onto him, glowing with energy.

A smirk crossed Jiraiya's face as the dragon grabbed him in its maw. However, he turned to splinters that were rapidly being crushed further.

Naruto and Haku both stood eyes wide. Both heard the familiar sound of swirling chakra inches from the back of their heads.

"Two lessons; 1- just because it is powerful doesn't mean it's tactically correct. 2-You should always watch your surroundings."

Both Haku and Naruto turned around to see a Rasengan inches away from each of their heads.

"Twin Rasengan… You're both dead."

The seriousness in his voice startled Naruto and Haku, both. However, he didn't stay that way for long. Less than a second after the attack dissipated, Jiraiya was smiling again.

"Not bad for an old man, huh? Our ferry leaves in thirty minutes, let's go…"

Naruto and Haku shared a shocked look before following him.

*With Suigetsu

Suigetsu swung his new katana like a madman, easily bisecting the bandit. He was easily tearing through the camp. It was actually the third one.

"Tch. Pathetic. I can't believe how many bandits have made this there home. I figured that Snake bastard could at least keep bandits away."

Without even thinking about it, Suigetsu ducked under a giant warhammer wielded by a man that stood over 7 feet tall. He swung the katana, removing the giant's hands. The man's screams were cut when Suigetsu removed his head.

Suigetsu looked around the small camp. It only held eight bandits, but they were surprisingly skilled. Even a team of Genin could take them, but against average soldiers, they would be able to overwhelm a much larger force.

"They must have a ninja leader. He seems to be teaching them as well. I wonder where he ran off to."

A light growl was heard from the woods. However, it clearly sounded human.

"Do you have any idea how long I spent teaching those Neanderthals!?"

Suigetsu's eyes easily locked onto the direction of the speaker. However, the man was hiding in the trees.

"Ahhh, you're a skilled one. What is your name?"

Suigetsu's eyes never moved, even as the voice changed position.

"It will take more than throwing your voice to confuse my senses. My name is Suigetsu Hozuki! The Second Coming of the Demon! Who are you?"

The area was silent for several seconds until Suigetsu started to turn his head. Easily following the noise of the hiding ninja.

"Your hearing is remarkable. I suppose I can tell you this much… My name is Mizuki, former Chunin of Konoha."

A snort left Suigetsu's lips.

"Chunin!? I was getting all worked up over some old wash-up Chunin!? Gah!"

Just like that, Suigetsu got up to leave.

"I don't think so! **Shadow Clone Jutsu!**"

Suigetsu's hearing instantly locked onto three poofs of smoke before three ninja shot from the woods, each brandishing a kunai.

'_Idiot.'_

Suigetsu didn't even move, he just waited until the clones were upon him before he turned to water.

"Shit! Water Clone!"

Suigetsu quickly appeared behind the three clones, both hands shaped like guns.

"Afraid not… **Hozuki Secret Jutsu: Water Gun!**"

Three shots later and the shadow clones were gone.

"I don't have all day, how about you come here. If I have to hunt you down, I will slowly rip you, _limb_ from _limb_."

Up in the trees, Mizuki had to gather his courage.

'_That guy just took out all three of my clones in an instant! If only I had been able to get the last ingredient of the Curse Seal!'_

With slow, deliberate movements, Mizuki walked out from the tree line.

Almost immediately Suigetsu's eyes were drawn to the chunnin's forehead protector, a music note was in the middle.

"I thought you said you were a Konoha Chunnin…"

Mizuki smirked, thinking Suigetsu was afraid of Oto.

"Ha! I betrayed Konoha and stole the Forbidden Scroll of Seals. Unfortunately, I didn't know about the summoning seal the Hokage had on it. I just barely learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu when in disappeared in a poof of smoke. Since I technically succeeded, Orochimaru-sama allowed me to live."

"Tell me, I'm looking for the entrance to the Eastern Base. Where is it?"

Mizuki's eyes widened slightly. Just enough to make Suigetsu grin.

Suigetsu's pointed teeth sent a shiver down Mizuki's spine.

"You're going to tell me everything I want to know."

*With Mei

Zabuza could only glance between Mei and the scroll in his hands.

"You got to be fucking kidding me! He forged orders from you!? That perverted old bastard is so dead!"

Mei's expression never changed.

"You are to get Chojuro, and you and Ao are going to chase him down. I can only spare you for two weeks and even that is pushing it."

Zabuza gave her a nod with a reassuring smile and he and Ao were gone.

*With Tsunade

"So, you're telling me that Jiraiya thought it would be a good idea to _kidnap _one of Kiri's ninja. Not just any ninja, but the Mizukage's _son-in-law!_… I know the man has always been brash, but this was just stupid!"

Tsunade sent Kakashi an irritated glare.

"Yes, I want you to take Asuma and leave immediately. You are to make your way to Kiri and gather any information you can from the Mizukage. I don't know how cooperative she will be at this point. You have 3 months, you _need _to find them."

Kakashi gave a serious nod. He did not want another war.

*One day later with Suigetsu

"Wakey, wakey…"

"Ugh…"

Mizuki's head felt like it had been bashed against a rock, probably because that's exactly what Suigetsu had done.

Mizuki slowly opened his eyes, only to see it was dark out and he was hanging upside down from a tree branch. He looked over to see Suigetsu crouched down, dragging a long dagger against a rock, making the blade jagged and dull.

"Good evening my lovely little Sound Chunin… We're going to play a game. I'm going to have fun, and you're going to scream in pure agony. Understand?"

Mizuki tried to spit on Suigetsu but his mouth was too dry.

"Now, that's not very nice. First question, where is the entrance to Orochimaru's Eastern Base?"

Mizuki sent Suigetsu a heated glare.

"FUCK YOU!"

Suigetsu's insane grin never wavered as he walked over to the bounded man.

"Wrong answer."

Suigetsu slammed the knife into Mizuki's ankle, stabbing him between the Achilles tendon and the joint, the pain the former Konoha nin felt was excruciating.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Suigetsu's grin got even crazier.

"Let's make sure you don't forget what I can do to you."

With slow, rough movements, Suigetsu began sawing the knife back and forth, slowly tearing the muscle and skin away from the shin bone. When he finally reached the knee, the knife broke free and Mizuki's calf muscle was no longer attached.

The man was whimpering in pain as agony flooded his very being, tears were streaming from his eyes as a ton of blood ran from his leg.

"Oh no, I can't have you bleeding out…"

Suigetsu walked over to a small, previously unnoticed camp fire and grabbed a long machete that had been sitting in the fire. It was red hot and gave off an intense amount of heat.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Suigetsu sighed happily as he cauterized Mizuki's wound.

"Now, wasn't that fun... Now, tell me, where are the prisoners!?"

Mizuki's glare had lessened into hate and fear.

"G-go fuck y-your s-self!"

The swordsman just gave the Chunin a dramatic sigh before doing the same exact thing to his other leg.

"GGGGAAAAHHHH!"

Mizuki tried to struggle but he had no energy left, he felt as though he was dying. However, he knew he couldn't get that lucky.

Pain could be seen clearly in the chunnin's eyes and pure joy was reflected in Suigetsu's.

"I haven't had fun like this in years! I hope you can keep it up…"

Mizuki's eyes darted around, hoping to see some way of escaping. Little did he know, Suigetsu's insane grin grew.

"I learned interrogation from the best, my brother. One thing he made sure I knew, was to squish any hope the prisoner has of escape. One method is to prove that it's impossible. The other method is to make the mind associate escape with pain. I personally like the second way…"

Mizuki couldn't even scream out when Suigetsu took a handful of salt and rubbed it forcefully all over the man's burned and bleeding legs.

*With Kakashi at the gates of Kiri

"Jonin Hatake Kakashi and Asuma Sarutobi are here to speak with the Mizukage."

The gate squad checked their papers as the hidden Anbu relayed the message to Mei. A sign from the Anbu and the squad nodded.

"You may see the Mizukage. _He _will guide you."

On the word 'he' an Anbu shimmered into existence, seemingly dropping a high-level Genjutsu.

He wordlessly began making his way to the Mizukage tower with the two Konoha Jonin following.

When they arrived, they were treated to a cold, calculated look from the Mizukage.

"Sit."

It was _not _a request.

"Tell me, why has one of your ninja, an S-rank ninja no-less, kidnap my Chunin?"

Kakashi stood before bowing low.

"We are not entirely sure Mizukage-sama. However, we were hoping to get any information you have gathered as to their possible direction. We were given 3 months to track them down and return Naruto and Haku to you…"

Mei studied the two carefully before she sighed.

"I sent Zabuza and a team out to search for them as well. I received word that they were seen boarding a ferry heading towards the Land of Wind. Ao and Chojuro should be arriving fairly soon. That is all I have as of now."

Kakashi nodded.

"May we be excused?"

Mei nodded and the two were gone.

*With Jiraiya, Haku and Naruto

"Ugh, this place blows!"

Haku sighed.

"Why did we come here anyway?"

While Jiraiya said nothing, inside he was thinking.

'_Ok, with the shifting sand and the breeze, it will be almost impossible to track us by scent. Not to mention all the clones I've been sending out will make it impossible to track us by sound or chakra. Don't worry Naruto, nothing's gonna happen to you.'_

A couple hours into their journey and Jiraiya's group came upon a small desert town. Haku idly noticed the town was called 'Oasis'. The name was fitting…

The three settled into a small tempura stand to grab some dinner. They quickly ordered and as they waited for their food, Naruto asked a question on his mind.

"So, I got S-rank ninja after my head. What are you going to teach me so I can fight them off?"

Jiraiya looked over at his godson and put down his tea.

"Well, I'm curious to see if you can do what your father and me never could… Finish the Rasengan. Other than that, you know a lot of different Jutsu, but haven't truly mastered many, if any of them."

Both teens were curious and it was obvious so Jiraiya explained.

"When your father made the Rasengan, he theorized that adding Elemental chakra to it would only improve the attack, possibly exponentially. As for mastering jutsu… well, we ninja use hand signs to form chakra in ways that isn't natural. By using these hand seals we can turn chakra into fire, lightning, wind… you get the idea, add hand seals for speed, size, shape and anything else needed. However, it is possible that once you have used a Jutsu enough times, you won't need to use these hand seals because your chakra will automatically take the form you want just from habit."

Both Naruto and Haku had wide eyes at that one before Haku spoke.

"Like muscle memory?"

Jiraiya's grin grew.

"Exactly!"

*With Suigetsu

Suigetsu grabbed his sword and removed Mizuki's head.

"About damn time. All that pain and that's all he was hiding… Damn he was loyal to that snake bastard."

Suigetsu merely walked away, not caring that he just left a tortured nin's body hanging from a tree.

Now that he knew what to look for it only took 10 minutes to find the entrance to the most hidden base in Orochimaru's village.

Crawling underneath the root he needed, Suigetsu saw the ladder.

"Just like the idiot said."

The second he hit the ground, two Sound ninja were drawing weapons on him.

'_Idiots'_

Suigetsu ducked to the side, several kunai flying by harmlessly. One quick draw and he removed both of the ninjas' heads.

Suigetsu hardly slowed down as he walked through the corridors, slaying any and all Oto nin that challenged him.

Finally, he came upon the cells. In the cells were dozens of people of various ages and gender. They each wore the same scraps of clothing in pale gray. However, he only saw the one person he was looking for. He was a boy about 11 years old with sandy blonde hair and dark green eyes, two red dots were visible on his forehead.

A single slash later, and the cage came tumbling down. The prisoners shrunk back in fear of the man before them.

"If any of you are from a ninja clan, I'm sure Kiri would like to see you, as for the others, there is a fairly large town about 3 hours south of here. Let's go Kaseki."

Meanwhile, the boy nearly had tears in his eyes.

"Y-you really came… Just like you said you would."

Suigetsu shrugged.

"I told you I would, little bro."

The boy gave a small smile as they left the base, not interested in anything Orochimaru kept there.

*Two months Later Jiraiya in the Land of Earth

Jiraiya watched with pride as Naruto held a single hand seal.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Missile Jutsu!" **

An impressive water dragon rose from the stream and smashed into a boulder, destroying it.

Jiraiya began to clap.

"Not bad… You can now do the Water Prison and Water Wall without hand seals and the Water Dragon only takes a single seal… Not to mention, one extra seal and you can add lightning chakra to any of your water jutsu…"

The sound of a screech brought their attention to the side.

They saw Haku holding a Rasengan, a small white blade seemed to be on the outside and Naruto couldn't decide between being jealous and proud. He had spent hours upon hours, even resorting the Shadow Clone training method and he kept getting the same result. When he tried to infuse the Rasengan with lightning chakra, he got a Chidori.

'_I know there is a way to do it, I just need to figure it out…'_

*Same time Konoha

Kakashi and Asuma both dropped to a knee.

"We're sorry, Hokage-sama. We tracked them all over the place but were never able to find them. I believe they were heading towards Earth Country when we hit our time limit."

Tsunade continued to stare at the two before sighing.

'_Kakashi may be one of the best trackers in Konoha, but when it comes to avoiding tracker, there is nobody in this world that is better than Jiraiya… I should have expected this to happen.'_

"Fine, you're dismissed. You have a day, then bring in your team for a C-rank mission. It's time they got in the field again."

Kakashi nodded and disappeared a moment later.

Tsunade sighed as she looked at the list of items Kiri wanted in compensation for their betrayal.

Raikiri

Rasengan

Creation Rebirth

Five Elements Seal

Shadow Clone Jutsu

Tsunade looked at the list in dismay, cursing Jiraiya wherever he was. The list wasn't too long, and nothing was so important that it couldn't be done. But each Jutsu was powerful in its own right.

With another sigh, Tsunade called the ANBU to call for a council meeting. This had to be discussed.

*Unknown cavern

A man with spiky orange hair and strange purple eyes stood, staring over a statue. By his side was a beautiful blue haired woman with an origami flower in her hair.

"Soon… We will be able to begin capturing the Tailed-beasts. Just one year."

Konan looked at the man shocked.

"A year? But I thought the Outer Path wouldn't be ready for 3 years."

A slight smirk appeared on the man's face.

"Yes, someone is leaking information and as god, I know who. They will feel they have two extra years to prepare. We will wait until the time is right, when they least expect it, we will move fast and hard."

Konan's face remained as impassive as ever.

"Yes, my lord."

**Ok, that's it! I'm just gonna say it, I thought this chapter sucked! There was so much stuff going on I could barely keep it straight. Let's do a run down…**

**Jiraiya tricked Naruto into going on a trip with him…**

**Suigetsu found a boy named Kaseki that he knows somehow…**

**Team Kakashi is about to go back into the field…**

**Akatsuki only need 1 year, not three…**

**That's it, let me know what you thought, like I said, I wasn't impressed with this one.**

**I can only hope the next one will be better…**


End file.
